CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Human beings all around the world are living with an earnest desire to achieve
further and further through innovating new things, which makes life more
comfortable. For leading a serene and valuable life, present century demands
multifaceted, creative and exuberant personalities. The most persuasive weapon
which helps us for making our life comfortable, successful and self sufficient in
this world is Education. According to Nelson Mandela, the former president of
South Africa, Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change
the world. Education is the foundation for the social, cultural, technological and
economic evolution of a country.
The aim of education is not solely the development of learned and trained
personals; it also aims in the production of self-knowledgeable, brilliant, matured and
ingenious personalities. The National Policy on Education (NPE 1986) points out that
Education is the unique investment for the present and future. Julia Gillard, board
chair of the Global Partnership for Education, (2014) said: Education is a long-term
investment - not an expense. We owe it to the children of the world - particularly the
poorest and most marginalized - that both international donors and developing
country governments step up and commit more funding to education. All over the
world education is exceptionally acclaimed as the best pre requisite for human
advancement. Each nation is striving to achieve the goal of Education for All before
2015 by enhancing participation, better condition of schooling and student
achievement.
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India, who has the second largest education system in the world, also
recognizes the need for an educated and skilled population for the socio economic
prosperity of the country. The growth of Indian economy in the recent past and the
compulsion to sustain it is forcing the Indian Government to accelerate the process of
developing the Indian education system. Massive reforms are being done by the
Government of India to transform Indias education system from a mediocre to a
world-class system. In the process of the reconstruction of education, stress is given
by the educators to the importance of quality researches which have policy
implications to the Indian education system.
The school education is the bedrock of every individuals education. Schools
are institutions that establish the foundation of all peoples development. School
education in India is organized in three stages, namely, elementary education,
secondary education and senior secondary education. Realizing the importance of
elementary education, India became one of the one hundred and thirty-five countries
to make education, a fundamental right of every child, 6 to 14 years of age, under
Article 21A of the Indian Constitution when the act came into force on 1 April 2010.
Elementary education focuses attention on promoting the standard of literacy,
numeracy, and science and citizenship education and in the preparation of students for
the obligations, opportunities and experiences of adult life. Secondary and senior
secondary education is a crucial stage in the educational hierarchy as it prepares the
students for higher education and also the world of work.
The period of secondary education is the actual takeoff age of ones life. The
secondary and senior secondary schooling prepares students to enter into the college
education and bridge the gap between elementary education and higher education.
The Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) has leads the way for the

demand of Universalizing Secondary Education (USE) in India. The CABE

committee on Universalisation of Secondary Education (2005) recommends Universal
Secondary Education by 2015; as per the report, the projection of enrolment,
transition rate indicates full possibility of Universal Enrolment in Secondary
Education by 2015. Also, by 2020, there will be provision for universal senior
secondary education and universal retention. The vision for secondary education in
India is to make good quality education available, accessible and affordable to all
young persons in the age group of 14-18 years (RMSA Framework, MHRD, 2009).
According to the report of the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012), classes IX and
X constitute the secondary stage, whereas classes XI and XII are designated as the
senior secondary stage. The normal age group of the children in secondary classes is
14-16 whereas it is 16-18 for senior secondary classes. These are the years of
adolescence, and late adolescence. UNICEF characterizes adolescence as the second
decade of ones life which is a phase which separates the childhood and adulthood.
These are the years of transition involving physical, intellectual, personal, and social
developmental changes. In this stage, emotional conversion and maturation fluctuates
between bliss and agony. Intelligence develops to maturity along with the power of
reasoning, analytical thinking and meaningful understanding.
The span of adolescence which is an indubitably critical stage in ones lifespan
represents an optimal time to promote effective education, sound philosophy of life,
prevent destructive behaviour, and promote enduring health practices which help in
shaping individuals entire life and the future of the society. The breakneck of present
society with its series of events like industrialization, urbanization, technological
advances, media, geographic mobility, wrenching cultural shifts, value deteriorations,
information explosions, have had profound influence on adolescents development.

A glance of world news broad casts exposes a long list of arduous situations like child
abuse, high divorce rates, child pregnancy, drug additions, suicide and bullying,
terrorism etc that can impact the adolescent life in one way or another. The
adolescents world cannot be understood without considering the substantial influence
of mass media especially televisions and social media networks. So, the society and
governments had the obligation to consider how to make differences in the lives of
adolescents.
The healthy, positive and admirable development of the adolescents requires
the combined commitments of a group of pivotal institutions like government, family,
school, health care organizations, community organizations, religious organizations
etc. School plays a dominant part in the psycho-social, intellectual, physical,
emotional and vocational development of adolescents. Secondary education
essentially has to be the education of the adolescence. A growing body of knowledge
shows that what happens to students between the ages of 10 and 14 determines not
only their future success in school, but success in life as well. Academic achievement
constitutes a major and salient sphere in the stage of secondary education. The
students career, status, personality and happiness are directly or indirectly depended
on their achievement.
The present vision of Education is to make students self reliant and self
confident to achieve the goals of life. The development of mere cognitive and
academic efficiencies alone is not enough to equip students to play their roles
effectively in the global community of 21st Century. The enlargements of creative,
emotional and behavioural competencies are also fundamental for the effective
functioning of the adolescents including the twenty first century learning skills like
creativity, critical thinking, problem solving abilities, decision making abilities etc.

Realising the significance investigator felt an earnest necessity of pondering the

factors related to the development of adolescence.
1.2 NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Academic Achievement is the vital concern of educators, psychologists,
learners as well as parents. High schools are also central for preparing youth in the
transition to adulthood (Demi et al., 2010; Meece et al., 2010). Also academic
achievement and educational attainment are the key developmental tasks across
adolescence and into early adulthood (Arnett, 2000; Eccles & Gootman, 2002;
Feldman and Elliot, 1990; Masten & Coatsworth 1998). Achievement in education
implies ones knowledge, understanding or skills in a specific subject or group of
subjects. In the words of Super, An achievement or proficiency test is used to
ascertain what and how much has been learnt or how well a task can be performed,
the focus is on evaluation of the past without reference to the future, except for the
implicit assumption that acquired skills and knowledge will be useful in their own
right in the future.
Academic Achievement is conceptualized as, that encompasses the students
ability and performance; it is multidimensional; it is intricately related to human
growth and cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development; it reflects the
whole child; it is not related to a single instance, but occurs across time and levels,
through a students life in public school and on to post secondary years and working
life. (Steinberger, 1993) It is expressed as the major paradigm to judge an
individuals total potentialities and competencies. It could also be interpreted as the
self judgment and self appraisal of ones own objective accomplishment. The whole
educational enterprises are concentrated on enhancing the academic success of the
students in this competitive world. Educational administrators, teachers and family

members are always craving for the academic upliftment of the adolescents. Most of
the time and effort of the school is devoted for this purpose. Academic achievement is
the final destination of all these educational endeavors.
Aremu (2001), while stressing the importance of academic performance in the
educational system, was of the view that academic performance is a fundamental
criterion by which all teachinglearning activities are measured, using some standards
of excellence and the acquisition of particular grades in examinations which measures
candidates ability, mastery of the content and skills in applying the knowledge
acquired to a particular situation. The continuous and comprehensive evaluation
system helps in knowing about the cognitive, affective and psychomotor abilities of
an individual from the results of achievement.
Achievement has a pivotal importance at the Secondary level since it provides
the adolescents with all the positive outcomes which strengthen their later life. It
equips students with a base for higher studies and is inevitable for admissions of
various professions and competitive fields. The excellence in academic achievement
during the high school years impacts various aspects of individuals lives well into
adulthood. Youth who leave secondary education with a sense of direction and
purpose are more likely to make a successful transition to early adulthood (Clausen
1991; Eccles et al., 2008; Eccles & Gootman, 2002).The success in achievement helps
to boost the level of confidence and self esteem in students. When the adolescent have
high levels of educational attainment they are more probable to get a secure
employment, less involved in criminal activities, free from drugs and are more active
members of the society.
In the secondary educational system adolescence are getting equal opportunity
to learn all the branches of subjects. It is possible to identify their specific skills,

talents and interests from their level of Achievement. For the development and
progress of the country we need brilliant and versatile youth. An educated and skilled
population is a necessity for the economic prosperity of the nation. The report of the
International Commission on Education for the 21st century titled Learning: The
Treasure Within states that Choosing a type of education means choosing a type of
society (Delors, 1996). So it has become very much essential that the government,
policy makers and educators should take appropriate measures for improving the
standard and quality of secondary education. The system must ensure all the facilities
needed for enhancing the Academic Achievement of the adolescents.
According to UNESCOs Director General, expanding secondary schooling is
A minimum entitlement for equipping youth with the knowledge and skills they need
to secure decent livelihoods in todays globalized world. Also for securing
international peace and respect among nations and individuals, for the making of new
knowledge, for the eradication of poverty, for the removal of social and cultural
injustice and prejudices, for the self satisfaction and self sufficiency of all the people
in this world there is an urgent need for empowering Academic Achievement of the
adolescents.
Education has an urgent need to learn more about the role of behaviour, social
skills, and character in improving academic achievement (Eccles, 2004; Meece,
Anderman & Anderman, 2006). To excel in todays competitive world the enfoldment
of all the potentialities is inevitable. The development of emotional and behavioural
skills is also fundamental to the effective functioning of an individual. According
to Daniel Goleman (1995) emotional intelligence is a more reliable predictor of
academic achievement than intelligence quotient and is a strong indicator for human
success and happiness. Emotionally intelligent children apparently perform better in

academic tasks than others. Emotional intelligence predicts academic success in

classrooms and serves as transitional tool in this corporate world (Barchard, 2003;
Goldsworthy, 2000; Parker et al., 2004). Developing emotional intelligence in school
is important in acquiring school aims and developing educational skills.
Since academic success and emotional intelligence represent the first step in
one of the many paths to the positive development of an individual, it is important to
understand the factors that lead to their positive functioning. Investigations have
revealed that an individuals background characteristic affect his/her cognitive and
non cognitive behaviours. According to a study done by Ali (1999) it was found out
that creativity is highly correlated with academic achievement.
Creativity is that characteristic of human behaviour that seems to be the most
mysterious and yet most critical to human advancement. It is the capacity to solve
problems in a new ways and to produce works that are novel, appropriate and socially
valued. (Simonton, 2000) Creativity uses cognitive process like recognition, reasoning
and understanding and it is a state of mind which can be learned. A wide review of
research indicates that creativity is associated with student success in the areas of
academic study. So creativity has to be considered as the key factor for the
development of personal, academic and social competencies (European Commission,
2008). In this global era schools have a greater responsibility than even before to help
the students to develop their emotional competencies and creativity to succeed in all
walks of life.
Mental health concerns become more prevalent as students move into
adolescence and can contribute to behavioural problems that detract from academic
achievement (Costello, Mustillo, Erkanli, Keeler & Angold, 2003). Adjustments in
the schools have been considered historically in terms of childrens academic progress

or achievement (Birch & Ladd, 1996). School Adjustment plays a great role in
influencing the behaviour and achievement of adolescents. They will engage in
positive social and academic activities when they perceive school as a place to
provide opportunities to achieve social and academic goals; as a safe and responsive
environment; as a place that facilitates the achievement of goals by providing help,
advice and instruction; and as a place that is emotionally supportive and nurturing.
Adolescents should be provided with appropriate creative skills and emotional
and behavioural supports for the attainment of an excellent academic profile. While
reviewing the studies conducted in the field of educational psychology, no study
could be found that has statistically assessed the association/relationship among
emotional intelligence, creativity and school adjustment in India and abroad.
Recognizing the importance of emotional intelligence, creativity and school
adjustment the investigator selected these as the independent variables of the present
study.
Emotional Intelligence and academic achievement
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence has been defined as the ability to adaptively perceive,
understand, regulate, and harness emotions in the self and others (e.g., Salovey &
Mayer, 1990; Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden & Dornheim, 1998).
It is the brainpower of employing emotions individually and to our environment
which includes family, peer group, neighbourhood, community and the society in
total. Emotions represent the midmost position in the personality of every individual.
It provides the energy and spirit and act as a propellant for all the intellectual,
psychosocial and physical activities in our life. Emotions serve as the dominant
building block of ones temperament since it can bring success and failure in our life.

Bar-On (1996) suggested that unlike cognitive intelligence, emotional

intelligence predicts an individuals success because it reflects how a person applies
knowledge to the immediate situation. Emotional intelligence was as powerful and at
times more powerful, than IQ in predicting success in life (Goleman, 1995, p.34). It
is the individuals ability to monitor ones own and others feelings and emotions, to
discriminate among emotions and to use this information to guide thinking and action.
Emotional Intelligence has been conceptualized as a multi dimensional construct as
proposed by Goleman (1993, 1995) and Mayer and Salovey (1995). According to this
conceptualization Emotional intelligence consists of abilities such as being able to
motivate one and persist in the face of frustrations; to control impulses and delay
gratification; to regulate ones moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to
think; to empathize and to hope.
Emotional intelligence is a competency that may seem complex initially but
when understood and applied enables those who posses it to stand out from the crowd.
Goleman (1995) model of emotional intelligence posits that a large number of human
abilities fall within the emotional intelligence construct including: frustration,
tolerance, delay of gratification, motivation, zeal, persistence, impulse control,
regulation of mood, ability to empathize, attachment to others, hopefulness and
optimism.
A person may be a scientist, a doctor, an engineer, an industrialist, a politician,
if unable to handle and use emotions in a socially acceptable way, cannot succeed in
any of the phases of life. The huge amount of accumulated wisdom and the
development of higher intellectual faculties of mind will not make life smooth and
perfect. Patton (1998) points out that emotional intelligence means how to use
emotions effectively to achieve goals, build relationships and achieve success. The

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unity and belongingness among the relationships, the functioning of community

centers, religious organisations, among political parties, business fraternities, social
clubs etc will get disturbed if any one of the members is emotionally maladjusted.
In this millennium, world is going through a variety of challenges in the areas
of economic, social, cultural, racial, religious, health related and environmental
factors. To lead a serene life in this situation needs not only cognitive abilities but also
equally impressive emotional competencies. A population without emotionally
matured members cannot contribute to the upliftment and development of the nation.
Cooper and Sawaf (1997) found out that emotional intelligence is a means for helping
individuals to become more creative, entrepreneurial, loving, responsible, caring, fair
and respectful to become productive members of the society.
Adolescence is the period of storm and strife (Bolarin, 1999) and identity
formation (Osaren, 2001). During their schooling years adolescents have to spend
most of their time in school. In school they have to face many situations with
teachers, fellow students and schoolmates. Pau et al (2004, 2007) found that students
with higher levels of emotional intelligence report less perceived stress, are more
likely to appraise emotions in rational and constructive terms, are more able to
identify and turn to sources of help in times of stress and are better able to judge that
health-damaging behaviours, such as drinking alcohol, will not alleviate stress.
Emotional intelligence has been found to be positively associated with psychological
health (Bhuller & Rooke, 2000). Austin et al. (2010) found out that emotional
intelligence is positively correlated with adaptive and negatively correlated with mal
adaptive coping.
Research done in brain based learning also asserts that emotional health and
emotional knowledge are fundamental for the effective learning of adolescents. It was

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reported that positive emotion may improve problem-solving ability, facilitate recall
of affectively neutral and positive information, and improve decision making (Estrada
et al., 1994). It has become evident that adolescents should be given proper training
for the empowerment of a sound emotional health. Data shows that the understanding
of the most basic emotions (i.e., happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and surprise) is well
established by the beginning of the middle-school grades (McClure, 2000) and
children continue to learn and understand emotions and emotion-eliciting situations as
they move into the adolescent years and beyond. (Thomas et al., 2007)
Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement
The most crucial factor that the adolescents face in their school life is of
matters on academic Achievement. The students needs to go through a variety of
intellectual and emotional situations based on their achievement. They have to meet
the expectations of their family members, teachers, school and society and after all to
their own goals. These factors force them to be alert, vigilant and concentrated
throughout the educational process. To replenish the young generation with a perfect
and wholesome education, schools need to go far more than academics and have to
devote thoughtful diligence towards emotional intelligence. According to a report
from the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs, the most critical element for a
students success in school is an understanding of how to learn from Emotional
Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. The key ingredients for this understanding are:

Confidence

Curiosity

Intentionality

Self-control

Relatedness

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Capacity to communicate

Ability to cooperate
Daniel Goleman (1995) has suggested that emotional intelligence can predict

success at school as well as or better than IQ. An intervention programme named as

PATHS curriculum (Greenberg, Kusche, & Riggs, 2004) led to significant
improvements in vocabulary and fluency in discussing emotional experiences,
management of emotions, and emotional understanding in school children. From this
and several other interventions it is made clear that emotional intelligence can be
taught. In the adolescent stage, school should provide theoretical knowledge about
emotional intelligence and training for the development of emotional skills
Current research results reveal that emotional intelligence is able to predict
eighty percent of an individuals success in life. Knowledge about ourselves and
others, as well as the ability to use this knowledge to solve problems, is a keystone to
academic learning and success (Cohen, 1999; Goleman, 1995). The characteristics of
an emotionally intelligent person is enumerated as the following

If an intelligent person is emotionally mature he will be better adjusted with the

environment and will be a success in life.

EQ helps to enhance social competencies and building strong relationships in the

family, work place and society.

Emotional intelligence helps to face stressful situations by controlling and

managing the feelings and emotions for solving the problems in an effective
manner.

The person with an EQ will be able to accept criticisms and failures and possesses
the mindset to acknowledge mistakes and correct them.

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The breadth and flexibility of thinking which leads to creative powers can be
enhanced through positive emotions.

Emotional intelligence also assists for a sound physical health by reducing

chances for heart attack, disturbance in immune system, raising blood pressure etc
With specific reference to education, it has been claimed that facilitation of

emotional intelligence can improve childrens academic achievement (Zins et al.,

2004), promote their well-being and adjustment (Weisberg, 2000), and reduce risks of
substance abuse, mental health problems and delinquency (Kam, Greenberg, & Walls,
2003). Emotionally intelligent individuals presumably succeed in communicating
their ideas goals and intentions in the workplace, have the social skills needed for
teamwork, and, in the case of leaders, can provide a more supportive organizational
climate (Zeidner, Mathews, & Roberts, 2004). The investigator found many studies
which had positive and negative relationship between emotional intelligence and
academic achievement. But the investigator could not find studies related to the
influence of emotional intelligence and academic achievement.
Creativity and Academic Achievement
Creativity
Creativity is the genesis of almost all the developments of the world.
Emerging theories in psychiatry and psychology support the construct of creativity as
the highest mental process. It is represented as the most complex human performance,
to which human beings can aspire. Creativity gives us insight and enriches our lives.
Every individual have creative ability and we all have them differently. When we find
our creative strengths it can have an enormous impact on our self esteem and overall
achievement. It is a part of what that makes us human. Creative thinking represents

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the highest degree of emotional health and the expression of normal people in the
process of actualizing themselves.
To excel in todays world of brain race organizations need people who are
more than academically intelligent. Akinboye (2002) assembled the following
definitions of creativity from the literature:

Creativity describes the production of new ideas;

Creativity described the reconstruction of new ideas from the old;

Creativity is insight;

Creativity involves the active search for alternatives; and

Creativity describes special ways of handling information.

Creativity is that characteristic of human behaviours that seems to be the most

mysterious and yet more critical to human advancement. Creatives are valuable
resources of any country. Nation must make the best possible use of all creative
resources if it is even to maintain its position in the modern world.
Research shows that every human being is capable of creative thoughts.
According to Albert Einstein, Creativity is more powerful than knowledge. Helson,
Agronick and Roberts (1995) describe creative people as being independent of
judgement, assertive as well as having consistent high levels of energy in their work.
Other traits he ascribes to creative individuals are complexity of outlook, tolerance
of ambiguity, unconventionality and breadth of interest. Creativity involves being
open- minded, tolerate uncertainty, self motivation, self confidence and risk taking
(Sternberg, 1991). Creative people are used to take risks and can frequently push the
boundaries of their perceived limits. They are intrinsically rather than extrinsically
motivated, working on the task because of the aesthetic challenge rather than material
reward.

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Creativity is the capacity to solve problems in new ways and to produce works
that are novel, appropriate and socially valued. When endorsing a novel idea, people
can experience failure (Simonton, 1984), social rejection (Nemeth, 1986), and
uncertainty about when their idea will reach completion (Metcalfe, 1986). Uncertainty
is an aversive state (Heider, 1958) that we feel strongly motivated to diminish and
avoid (Whitson & Galinsky, 2008). Hence, people can also have negative associations
with novelty an attribute at the heart of what makes ideas creative in the first place.
Creativity depends on interaction between thinking and feeling and across
different disciplinary boundaries and field of ideas. It uses cognitive process like
recognition, reasoning and understanding and it is a state of mind which can be
learned. According to the accumulated literature, creativity geniuses are open to
diverse experiences, strong with feelings, attitudes and behaviours to maximize
productivity. Encountering with the creative process individual exhibits uncommon
enthusiasm, energy and commitment, usually appearing to friends and family as
workaholic or abnormal. Psychologist Rollo May, in the book The courage to
Create, necessitates the need of courage and intelligent use of emotions as essential
to creativity.
Many theoretical perspectives have stated that creativity is fostered in
environments that provide psychological safety and psychological freedom (Rogers,
1970). Creativity is seen as being associated with intelligence, wisdom, and moral
goodness (Niu & Sternberg, 2006; Sternberg, 1985). However, although people
strongly endorse this positive view of creativity, scholars have long been puzzled by
the finding that organizations, scientific institutions, and decision makers routinely
reject creative ideas, even when espousing creativity as an important goal (Staw,
1995). Similarly, research has documented that teachers dislike students who exhibit

16

curiosity and creative thinking, even though teachers acknowledge creativity as an

important educational goal (Westby & Dawson, 1995). Guilford (1966) pointed out
that Creativity is the key to education in its fullest sense and to the solution of
mankinds most serious problems. When a person encounters with this complex
mental functioning the intellectual, volitional and emotional functions play together.
Through these evidences it is evident that creative adolescence can excel in their
academic activities.
Creativity and Academic Achievement
Our former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam describes education as one that
fosters capacities such as spirit of enquiry, creativity and moral leadership which are
central to nation building in a democratic set up. The challenges of the fast changing
economy demand increasing flexibility in terms of knowledge, skills and capability.
In this global age, Education must be fit for a highly skilled, educated work force and
creative citizenry. Beyond the economic rationale educators must have an ethical
obligation to assist all the students in realizing to their highest potential. The creation
and preservation of a prosperous society depends on the education of new generation.
The development of creativity in adolescence is not only for the benefit and
welfare of the future society but also for the enrichment, to find novel opportunities
and insights. The creative thinking abilities endorse them with a variety of
resourcefulness like:

Comprehend, respond and represent their perceptions and understanding of the

world.

Solve problems and gain mastery

Foster suitable learning habits

Gain understanding

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Develops self esteem

Promotes concentration, exploration and experimentation

Able to take risky and challenging situations

To see things in new ways

Able to move forward, constantly challenging to do better

Think about and create new meanings

Express their thoughts verbally and non verbally.

Thus creative abilities help the adolescence to develop their skills, attitudes

and knowledge so that their learning and development can be benefited. It helps the
students to gain and to discover new understandings which lead to sound knowledge
and academic excellence.
Claxton (2003) points out that creativity is learning at its most powerful.
He identifies eight elements which are included in the creative process such as
immersion, inquisitiveness, imagination, intuition, intellect, intentions, investigation
and imitation. These procedures help the learners to think critically and creatively,
solve complex problems, to make judgments about the informations they receive and
also to communicate in a suitable manner. If the learners possess creative
potentialities, they can excel in both arts and science streams which leads to a
considerable increase in their academic progress. Numerous research studies reports a
positive and significant relationship between creativity and academic achievement.
Human desire to be creative has been present throughout the history. The
elimination of this intellectual desire can be best done in the period of adolescence.
Educators and policy makers should be well versed in creativity theories for helping
the youth to achieving this unlocking potential. The reviewed data has also shown that
there was a very few studies related to creativity and academic achievement.

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School Adjustment and Academic Achievement

The stage of adolescence which is a very decisive spell in a persons life is
worthwhile for an experimental research. Halls (1904) Theory of Adolescence used
the phrase storm and stress to describe his view of adolescence as a conflictive
period for the individual with vacillations between inertia and activity, narcissism and
self-doubt. Adolescence will be in the school on the major part of the day. During
their school time they will be exposed to their peer groups, teachers, curricular and co
curricular activities, school environment etc. They have to face many sided tasks in
and out of the school involving intellectual, emotional and behavioural dimensions.
Consequently, experiences at school influence every aspect of development during
adolescence, ranging from the breadth and depth of their intellectual capital to their
psychological well-being to the nature of peer influences on their development
(Wigfield, Eccles, Schiefele, Roeser, & Davis-Kean, 2006).
Ladd et al. (1997) define school adjustment as the degree to which adolescents
are comfortable, engaged, and successful in their school environment, and they assess
it with measures of school affect, school liking and avoidance, and school
performance. A child who has school adjustment problems may become anxious,
withdrawn, or exhibit disruptive, aggressive, or non-compliant behaviours (Keogh
2003; Martin & Bridger 1999). These psychological problems will affect the
intellectual, emotional and social wellbeing of the students in school.
Research adopting this framework has shown that children who display
curiosity about school tasks, who are engaged in learning, and maintaining positive
feelings when challenged academically, tend to perform better in school and on
standardized tests than do other children (Lepper et al., 2005). For a better adjustment
at school, adolescence needs the support of family, teachers, school and class mates.

19

The intellectual and emotional support from the family, the care and recognition from
the part of the teachers and peers can strengthen the adjustment skills of the students.
Research evidence suggests that children, adolescents and adults report, perceiving
their families as being a critical source of social support under numerous situations
(East and Rook 1992; Shumaker and Czajkowski 1994). Alternate forms of support
from individuals outside of the family, such as teacher and peer support, are also
important, acting as compensatory mechanisms when family support is unavailable or
perceived as inaccessible (Berndt & Perry 1986; Coleman 1988).
Adolescents with high self-esteem typically report high educational
expectations (Saunders et al., 2004), whereas those showing problem behaviour and
low self esteem report relatively low educational expectations (Hawkins et al., 1992).
The school-related adjustment is associated with adolescents educational
expectations. High academic achievement and positive attitudes towards school relate
to high educational expectations (e.g., Carpenter and Fleisman, 1987; Garget al.,
2002), whereas low school performance and learning difficulties are associated with
low educational expectations (e.g., Garg et al., 2002; Rojewski, 1999). It has also
been found that academic achievement mediates the impact of other adjustment
variables on adolescents educational expectations (Reitzes & Mutran, 1980;
Savolainen, 2001): low adjustment, such as learning difficulties and problem
behaviour, leads to low academic achievement, which then is reflected on low
educational expectations.
School Adjustment and Academic Achievement
The primary concern of adolescents in their school life is on the matters on
academic achievement. The academic excellence of the students in school is depended
upon many factors like social, intellectual, psychological and environmental factors.

20

From an educational perspective, adaptation to the demands of school life is a central

life task of early adolescence and one that contributes to youths overall sense of
emotional well-being (Eccles, Lord, Roeser, Barber, & Jozefowicz, 1997; Erikson,
1968; Roeser, 1996). Aguobosi (2003) outlined some causes of ineffective study that
are consequent to poor academic achievement in adolescent students:

Inability to cope with anxiety.

Rigidity of thought and poor study habits.

Lack of reading skills.

Unplanned and sporadic attempt to study.

Low rate of productivity resulting in inability to complete work on time.

Poor note taking.

Inability to develop arguments in a reasoned and coherent manner.

Lack of good expression in written work.

Inability to reason logically.

It is a fact that proficiency in academic activities in the period of adolescence

is largely depended upon their adjustment with schools. The academic achievement of
adolescence is mainly depended upon the quality of time they spend in schools. The
quality of time they spent in the schools is related to the social, emotional and
educational bonding they receive from schools. Their relationship with teachers and
peers, school activities, facilities in school and school environment can substantially
influence their academic profile. These factors can seriously affect their motivation to
learn and can predict their academic functioning. Well-adjusted students usually value
what they are learning, and will be positively involved in classroom activities and are
of receiving high grades. (Kiuru, et al., 2009) Poor school adjustment leads to low

21

academic achievement, behavioural problems, discordant educational aspirations and

even school dropout. (Vasalampi et al., 2009; Raju & Rahamtula, 2007)
During the adolescent years the young people will usually think seriously
about their future goals. Those who are not in school regularly have limited lifetime
opportunities socially, professionally and economically (Reid, 1999) they are more
likely to experience unemployment, underemployment and long term dependency on
social services (Coley, 1995). In general it was proclaimed that school adjustment is
essential for the effective schooling by the work and writings of psychologists
Howard Gardner (Harvard), Peter Salovey (Yale) and John Jack Mayer
(New Hampshire). Further research is needed to examine the factors related to school
adjustment and emotional and behavioural aspects of achievement.
Conclusion
Many studies have examined the relationship between academic achievement
and variables like intelligence, emotional intelligence and creativity. The investigator
found no studies which measure the combined effect of emotional intelligence,
creativity and school adjustment. No previous studies have investigated the extent
of associations between adolescents emotional intelligence, creativity, school
adjustment and their academic achievement. In India and Kerala there were a very
few studies related to the present study.
1.3 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Theories are statements that explain a particular segment or phenomena by
specifying certain relationship among variables. As means, they provide a framework
which guide observation and discovery. Theory summarizes knowledge and puts in
order the knowledge within a given field. It provide clarification and meaning to the
summarised knowledge and provides scientific explanation for the observed events

22

and relationships. This section focuses on the theoretical overview of emotional

intelligence, creativity and school adjustment.
1.3.1 Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is based on the concept of social intelligence which
was first defined by Thorndike in 1920. Later Guilford (1967) proposed his view of
intelligence as a multifaceted construct which consists of one hundred and fifty
factors. According to Guilford the structure of human intelligence is viewed in terms
of three parameters mental operations, contents and products. The term emotional
intelligence was not contained in the model but the model supports for a type of
intelligence, the ability to process affective information. The early theoretical
perspectives on emotional intelligence were developed during the 1970s and 1980s.
The term emotional intelligence was made popular in the mid 1990s by Daniel
Goleman who established that emotional intelligence can be divided into aspects of
both personal and social competencies. Goleman (1996) claimed that emotional
intelligence comprises of such abilities as self awareness, managing emotions,
motivating oneself, empathy and handling relationships. Goleman identified five
domains of EQ such as

Knowing your emotions

Managing your own emotions

Motivating yourself

Recognizing and understanding other peoples emotions

Managing relationships
Golemans work on emotional intelligence leads to the consideration of

emotional intelligence as a central component of organisational structure, function

and success. Goleman constructed a model for emotional intelligence which

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contains four dimensions. The dimensions of the emotional intelligence model by

Daniel Goleman are presented in the Table 1.1.
Table 1.1: Emotional Intelligence Model by Daniel Goleman
Sl.No.

Dimensions

Self Awareness

Self Management

Social Awareness

Relationship
Management

Descriptions
Ability to read ones own emotions and recognize their
impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
Controlling ones emotions and impulses and adapting
to changing circumstances
Includes ability to sense, understand and react to ones
emotions while complementing social networks.
Entails the ability to inspire, influence and develops
while managing conflicts.

This model proposed by Goleman also includes a set of emotional

competencies within each of the four constructs of emotional intelligence. He explains
that the set of emotional competencies does not represent innate talents but they are
learned capacities that can be trained and developed for the effective functioning of
the individual. Goleman points out that every individual is born into the world with a
general emotional intelligence that determines their potential for acquiring these
emotional competencies. The following Table 1.2 illustrates Golemans conceptual
model of emotional intelligence and their corresponding emotional competencies.
Table 1.2: Conceptual Model of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
(2011)
Self
Others
PERSONAL COMPETENCE
SOCIAL COMPETENCE
Social awareness
Self awareness
Empathy
RECOGNITION
Emotional Self Awareness
Service Orientation
Accurate Self Assessment
Organisational Awareness
Self Confidence
Relationship management
Self management
Developing others
Self control
Influence
Trustworthiness
Communication
Conscientiousness
REGULATION
Conflict management
Adaptability
Leadership
Achievement Drive
Team Work
Initiative
Building Bonds
Collaboration

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From the model it can be seen that Goleman perceives emotional intelligence
as a mixed intelligence involving cognitive abilities and personality traits.
Peter Salovey and John Mayer (1990) who first coined the term emotional
intelligence defined emotional intelligence as the ability to process emotional
information accurately and efficiently constructed a four branched Ability Model of
Emotional Intelligence.
This Model suggests that emotional intelligence involves the ability to
i)

Perceive emotion in others and express ones emotions.

ii)

Use emotions to guide thinking in ones self and others.

iii)

Understand how emotions operate and

iv)

Manage and regulate emotions in self and others.

Mayer (2000) puts at the center of emotional intelligence The four broad

abilities such as:

Perceiving

Integrating

Understanding and

Managing emotions,

so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth. The director of the Institute of

Applied Intelligences in Denmark and consultant for a variety of institutions in
Israel, Reaven Bar-On (2002) developed a Five Component Model of Emotional
Intelligence. Through the model he persists that emotional intelligence can be
improved through training, programming and therapy. (Bar-On, 2002) From the
theories it has become evident that success requires more than IQ and it is EQ which
helps to reach the unreachable.
The most recent model of Emotional Intelligence is the trait model published
by Pertrides (2009). This model is against the view of the ability model of emotional

25

intelligence. This model views emotional intelligence as a comprehensive exploration

of an individuals personality. It proposes that individuals have as a part of their
personality, a number of emotional self perceptions and emotional traits.
1.3.2 Creativity
It is commonly argued that the notion of creativity had originated in the
western culture as a matter of divine inspiration. The work create originates from the
Latin word Creatus that means to do or to make or to give birth. It is the ability
to produce work that is novel, original and socially acceptable. In early 1950
J.P. Guilford theorized the concept of creativity as the process that involves reasoning
and other thinking factors which includes:

Problem finding. (ability to recognize problems)

Fluency.(ability to produce many ideas)

Originality. (ability to produce novel ideas)

Flexibility. (ability to produce varied ideas)

Categorizing ability. (ability to produce group ideas together or separate them)

Evaluation ability. (ability to delay selection of an idea until appropriate

evaluations has been made)
In UK the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education

(NACCCE) published in 1991 a report where they provided a more elaborated

definition of creativity. They maintain that creative process have four characteristics;
1.

It is imaginatively, it always involves imagination, since it is the process of

generating something original.

2.

It is purposeful, it is imagination put into action towards an end.

3.

It produces something original in relation to ones own previous work, to their

peer group or to anyones previous output in a particular field.

4.

And finally, it has value in respect to the objective it was applied for.

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Presently creativity is widely heralded as an important part of everyday life

and education. Sternberg (1985, 1997, 1999) in his successful intelligence theory,
states that intelligence is consisted of creative, practical and analytical abilities.
Current studies are trying to advance the traditional creativity definition, as the
production of novel and useful ideas or solutions (Amabile, 1988; Mumford &
Gustafson, 1988; Oldham & Cummings, 1996; Shalley, 1991; Zhou & George, 2001)
to best fit the needs of todays dynamic and competitive global environment.
For example, Williamson 2001 proposed that creativity is a process requiring
social support that must rest on a sound basis of skills and training. Creativity can also
seem to be a balance between novelty and familiarity: new and different enough
to capture consumers attention, but familiar enough to not be misunderstood or
rejected out of hand as too radically different (Ward, 2004). It is a manifestation of
productive energy and what might be called a productivity-minded attitude of people
(DiPietro & Anoruo, 2006). Persaud (2007) indicated that creativity is the production
end of ideas or products.
The theories on creativity have focused on a variety of aspects. Sternberg and
Lubart (1996) developed an Investment Theory for Creativity based on the investment
strategy to buy low and sell high. Shrewd investors, through creativity and wisdom
knows when to buy and when to sell. According to this theory Creativity requires six
distinct but interrelated resources.
i)

Intellectual abilities

ii)

Knowledge

iii)

Styles of thinking

iv)

Personality

v)

Motivation

vi)

Environmental context

27

Truly creative performance is rare not because people are lacking in any one
attribute but because it is difficult to get all six attributes working together. These six
facets of creativity can combine to yield creative performance at any stage of life, and
the intellectual environment such as school as home life has an important early
influence on creativity. Based on the recent theoretical and empirical research on
creativity, Plucker et al. (2004) defined Creativity as the interaction among aptitude,
process and environment by which an individual or group produces a perceptible
product that is both novel and useful as defined in a social context.
1.3.3 School Adjustment
The period of adolescence is characterised by developmental changes which
affect their school functioning. Adolescents adjustment in school, their mental health,
attitude, relationship with teachers and peers and performance in curricular and
co-curricular activities will depend on the extent of positive experience they receive
from school. The learning oriented views on personality theories denied the role of
internal factors in the behaviour of an individual in terms of their motives, traits,
intentions and goals. They explain that external conditions affect the behaviour of
individuals. An important example in this modern approach is provided by Banduras
Social Cognitive Theory. (Bandura, 1986, 1997) According to Social Cognitive
Theory human behaviour is influenced by many cognitive factors as well as by
reinforcement contingencies and those human beings have an impressive capacity to
regulate their own actions.
Robert et al. (1998) constructed a conceptual model focused on adolescents
perceptions of school characteristics linked to their sense of personal competence,
sense of personal autonomy, and feelings of social support from their teachers.
Figure 1.1 shows the perceived middle school psychological environment:
conceptualization and measures.
28

Figure 1.1: Perceived Middle School Psychological Environment

The Figure 1.1 explains about the different dimensions of school environment
where student have to get adjusted. If the school environment is not conducive for the
children it will create adjustment problems which indeed cause learning problems.
Stage-Environment-Fit Theory (SEF) (Eccles et al., 1993) provides a possible
approach to explain the causes of a decrease of enjoyment of learning. The SEF
conceives the decline in positive motivational factors (e.g., learning motivation, self
concept of ability) not merely as a function of pubertal changes but attributes it to a
mismatch between opportunities afforded by the scholastic environment and the needs
of young adolescents. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) explains the causes of a
decline in learning enjoyment. According to SDT, autonomy, competence, and social
relatedness are often neglected in schools. (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009) If these basic
needs are not fulfilled, self-determined learning motivation that is strongly connected
to positive emotional experiences (Bieg &Mittag, 2009) cannot develop.
This explanation is supported by Pekruns (2000) social-cognitive model for
eliciting achievement emotions. This model states the specific conditions crucial for
learning in a school environment:

The enhancement of students competence (e.g., by providing high

instructional quality),
29

The facilitation of autonomy in the classroom

The use of noncompetitive and informative feedback of students achievement

The implementation of positive relationships and social relatedness.

These factors address conditions that are also mentioned by SDT and SEF and

which can be connected to students need fulfillment. The theories described help to
identify crucial preconditions for positive learning emotions and students adjustment
in school.
Erick Erickson (1902) in his psychosocial theory of development emphasized
the social cultural determinants of personality. He opined that adolescent grapples
with the question who am I? Adolescent must established basic social and
occupational identities, or they will remain confused about the roles they should play
as adult. The key social agent for adolescent is the society of peers. He also theorized
that teens must master in the important social and academic skills to boost academic
achievement. Erikson believed that human beings face eight major crises or conflicts,
during the course of their lives. Each conflict has its own time for emerging as
directed by both biological maturity and social demand which developing people
experience at a particular point in life. And each must be resolved successfully in
other to prepare the individual for a satisfactory resolution for the next life crises.
Some of the major factors affecting adolescents school adjustment are related
to the influence of home environment and also the early schooling experiences.
Children from better resourced families with higher income or higher maternal
education, for example, enjoy higher achievement at school (Burchinal et al., 2002;
NICHD ECCRN, 2003; 2004b; 2005). Attendance at prior to school programs, such
as early childhood and preschool services, has also been related to positive school
performance both in the short and the long term (Commonwealth Department of

30

Education Science and Training, 2002; Dockett & Perry, 2002; Fergusson et al., 1994;
NICHD ECCRN, 2003; Pianta, Rimm-Kaufman, & Cox, 1999).
Researchers have found that organizational commitment based on emotional
bonds benefits organizations more, in terms of attendance and extra-role behaviours,
than continuance or normative commitment (Somers, 1993; Gellatly, 1995; Hackett
et al., 1994; OReilly & Chatman, 1986). The data shows that individuals develop as
an integrated whole with multiple developmental Subsystems (e.g., behavioural,
biophysical, cognitive, cultural ecological, emotional, sociological) operating as a
coactive system with each subsystem affecting the contributions of other subsystems
and collectively contributing to the overall adaptation of the individual (Cairns, 1979;
Gottlieb, 1992; Magnusson, 2000; Sameroff, 1983). From this vantage, youth
adjustment problems tend to reflect distinct configurations of correlated risks, as
multiple factors contribute to distinct patterns of school functioning (Cairns & Cairns,
1994; Estell et al., 2007; Roeser & Peck, 2003).
1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The present study investigates the influence of Emotional Intelligence,
Creativity and School Adjustment on Academic Achievement among Boys and Girls
of Government and Aided Schools in Rural and Urban Areas of Class Nine of
Northern Kerala. The study is entitled as Emotional Intelligence, Creativity and
School Adjustment as Factors Influencing Academic Achievement of Secondary
School Students of Northern Kerala.
1.5 OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS
The operational definitions of the key terms used in the study are given below.
1.5.1 Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is defined as the subset of social intelligence that
involves the ability to monitor ones own and others feelings and emotions, to
31

discriminate among them and to use this information to guide ones thinking and
emotions. In the present study, Emotional Intelligence is viewed as the ability to
perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to
regulate emotions to promote personal growth.
1.5.2 Creativity
Creativity is the ability or power to create, to invest with a new form, to
produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new.
For the present study creativity is considered as the ability to create, to invest with a
new form and to produce through the different aspects of thinking as divergent
thinking, decision making, innovation and problem solving.
1.5.3 School Adjustment
Adjustment is a process by which a living organism maintains a balance
between its needs and the circumstances that influence the satisfaction of these needs.
School Adjustment is defined as the social motivation, behavioural competence and
positive interpersonal relationships.
1.5.4 Academic Achievement
Academic achievement is defined as the knowledge acquired by the students
in the curricular subjects which is measured by test scores.
1.5.5 Secondary School Students
In Kerala secondary school students are students studying in eight, ninth and
tenth classes with an age-group ranges from 1416 years in the state of Kerala. For
the present study investigator took only the ninth class students as the secondary
school students.
1.5.6 Northern Kerala
Based on the cultural, historical and geographical divisions the state of Kerala
is dividing into Malabar region (northern Kerala), Cochin region (southern Kerala)
32

and Travancore region. (central Kerala) In the present study investigator includes
northern Kerala as the region for the study. There are five districts in northern Kerala
viz., Kasargode, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad.
1.6 VARIABLES OF THE STUDY
Variables are conditions or characteristics that the experimenter manipulates,
control or observe. It is an aspect of testing condition that can change or take on
different characteristics with different conditions (Mc Burney & White, 2010). There
are two types of variables such as independent variables and dependent variables. The
independent variables are the conditions or characteristics that the experimenter
manipulates or controls in his or her attempt to ascertain their relationship to observe
phenomena. The dependent variables are conditions or characteristic that appear,
disappear or change as the experimenter introduce, remove or change the independent
variable.
In the present study, there are four variables. Emotional intelligence, creativity
and school adjustment are the independent variables and academic achievement is the
dependent variable. The gender, locale and type of management were the basal
variables of the study. A diagrammatical representation of the variables is presented
in Figure 1.2.

Figure 1.2: Diagrammatical Representations of the Variables

33

1.7 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are presented below:

To explore the nature of distribution of scores on emotional intelligence,

creativity and school adjustment among students of class nine;

To study the differences in emotional intelligence, creativity and school

adjustment among ninth standard students based on gender, locale and type of
management;

To study the relationship of emotional intelligence, creativity and school

adjustment on academic achievement of students of class nine; and

To study the degree of influence of emotional intelligence, creativity and school

adjustment on academic achievement of students of class nine.

1.8 HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

The hypotheses formulated for the study is given below:

There is a significant difference among the students of class nine in their

emotional intelligence, creativity, school adjustment and academic achievement
based on gender, locale and type of management.

There is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence, creativity and

school adjustment on academic achievement of students of class nine.

The emotional intelligence, creativity and school adjustment are significant

predictors of academic achievement of students of class nine.

1.9 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The present study aims to find out the influence of emotional intelligence,
creativity and school adjustment on academic achievement of secondary school
students of Northern Kerala with regard to gender, locale and type of management.
The delimitations of the present study can be listed as follows.

34

The sample listed is limited to six hundred and fourteen students of class nine.

Data were collected from government and aided schools only.

1.10 CONCLUSION
In this chapter the investigator had presented a detailed introduction of the
present study and the need and significance and theoretical frame work of the
variables emotional intelligence, creativity, school adjustment and academic
achievement. Further, the statement of the problem, objectives and hypotheses
formulated and delimitations of the study were included. The next chapter sheds light
on the review of related literature of the variables emotional intelligence, creativity
and school adjustment.

35