The Investigation of Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Teaching Styles among Iraqi EFL Teachers

This study set out to determine whether teachers emotional intelligence predicted their teaching styles or not. Moreover, it aimed at investigating the relationship between emotional intelligence and the aspects of EFL teachers’ teaching styles. The participants selected were 50 Iraqi EFL teachers from high schools in Kerkuk, Iraq. The study utilized the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) and the Grasha s Teaching Styles Inventory (TSI) questionnaire as the tools for data collection. The results of the study disclosed that a significant and positive relationship exists between the emotional intelligence of Iraqi EFL teachers and the aspects of their teaching styles. Furthermore, emotional intelligence predicted 47.5% of expert style. The regression analysis yielded another outcome, wherein emotional intelligence emerged as a predictor for teaching styles such as formal authority , personal model , facilitator , and delegator . The findings imply that emotional intelligence plays a substantial role in influencing the teaching styles employed by the teachers. Consequently, the emotional intelligence can probably contribute to the enhancement of educational standards.