Relationship among Emotional Intelligence, Self-Esteem, and Civic Competence among Secondary School Students in Gusau Local Government Area, Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship among emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and civic competence among secondary school students in Gusau Local Government Area, Zamfara State, Nigeria. A correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised Senior Secondary School II (SS II) students in public secondary schools, from which a sample of 378 respondents was selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using the Emotional Intelligence, Self-Esteem and Civic Competence Questionnaire (EISCCQ), which was validated by experts and found to be reliable through Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients. The data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and civic competence (r = .642, p < .05), indicating that students with higher emotional intelligence tended to exhibit higher civic competence. The study also found a significant positive relationship between self-esteem and civic competence (r = .587, p < .05). Furthermore, emotional intelligence and self-esteem jointly made a significant contribution to civic competence (R = .632, R² = .399, F(2, 375) = 124.630, p < .05), explaining 39.9% of the variance in civic competence. Emotional intelligence emerged as the stronger predictor, followed by self-esteem. The study concluded that emotional intelligence and self-esteem are significant determinants of civic competence among secondary school students. It was recommended that schools integrate emotional intelligence development and self-esteem enhancement programmes into counselling services and Civic Education to promote responsible citizenship among students.