TEACHERS' EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND EARLY LITERACY OUTCOMES AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN ABA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ABIA STATE.

This study investigated the relationship between teachers’ emotional intelligence and early literacy outcomes among preschool children in Aba South Local Government Area, Abia State. The study specifically examined three dimensions of teachers’ emotional intelligence self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy and their relationship with three early literacy outcomes, namely letter recognition skills, reading readiness, and emergent writing skills. The study was guided by three research objectives, three research questions, and three null hypotheses. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of preschool teachers and pupils in Aba South Local Government Area. A sample size of 200 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence and Early Literacy Outcomes Questionnaire (TEIELOQ), which was designed on a 4-point Likert scale of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. The instrument was validated by experts in Early Childhood Education and Measurement and Evaluation, and its reliability was established using Cronbach Alpha. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that teachers’ self-awareness has a significant positive relationship with letter recognition skills among preschool children. It also showed that teachers’ self-regulation significantly relates to children’s reading readiness, while teachers’ empathy significantly influences emergent writing skills. The study concluded that teachers’ emotional intelligence plays a vital role in enhancing early literacy outcomes among preschool children. Based on the findings, it was recommended that emotional intelligence training should be integrated into teacher education programmes and regular professional development workshops should be organized for early childhood educators to improve literacy instruction and learning outcomes.