Pertinence of Emotional Education within the Ordinary Curriculum: Design and Assessment of a Regional Free Elective Subject on Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

This research work explores the results of the implementation and assessment of a regional free elective subject on emotional intelligence. This subject was introduced as a pilot experience and imparted within the ordinary curriculum of the first grade of compulsory secondary education (7th grade) in a public secondary school located in Castilla y León (Spain). Its assessment was carried out through a quasi-experimental study with a control group, whose participants were 33 students aged 12-13, 23 of which were in the control group, with 10 students in the experimental group. The subject was composed of 58 50-minute sessions. The results show a statistically significant improvement (p<.05) in the variables related to mood and general emotional intelligence, and also high degrees of satisfaction on the part of both students and their families.