Your new experience awaits. Try the new design now and help us make it even better

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.

Sec. Educational Psychology

This article is part of the Research TopicEmotional Intelligence in Educational Psychology: Enhancing Learning and DevelopmentView all 24 articles

Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Holistic Student Development: An Assessment of Psychological and Social Efficacy in Vocational University English Education

Provisionally accepted
  • Gongqing Institute of Science and Technology, Jiangxi, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

The role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in university English education has garnered increasing attention, particularly regarding its impact on students' psychological well-being and social competencies. This study explores how EI influences university students' psychological adaptability, interpersonal communication skills, and overall learning experience. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this research integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews to assess the EI levels and their psychological and social efficacy among university English learners at Jiujiang Polytechnic University of Science and Technology. Data analysis reveals a significant correlation between higher EI levels and better mental health, enhanced social interaction skills, and a more positive learning attitude. Through the integration of EI training within university English courses, students exhibit improved self-regulation and teamwork abilities. Furthermore, this study underscores the necessity of incorporating EI into university English teaching and provides both theoretical foundations and practical recommendations for future curriculum design and pedagogical strategies. The findings offer valuable insights for English educators, mental health professionals, and educational policymakers.

Keywords: emotional intelligence (EI), University English Education, psychological well-being, social competence, learning development

Received: 12 Jul 2025; Accepted: 20 Nov 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Xuan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Qilin Xuan, 499483172@qq.com

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.