Thinking about our feelings : a pedagogical innovation centred on the skills of emotional intelligence with Third Culture Kids

Abstract

This thesis explores through a case study approach how an intervention based on the skills of emotional intelligence affects Third Culture Kids at a British school in Asia. In comparison to peers growing up in their home country, Third Culture Kids face challenges during their formative years presented by high mobility and exposure to a range of cultures. At the school studied, issues with high mobility and high levels of transition seem to manifest themselves in exclusion and a lack of empathy between peers. In the absence of established support networks, extended families and external agencies, members of staff at the expatriate school studied generally feel an increased responsibility towards their pupils and their pupils’ families. In view of this, an intervention based on the competencies of emotional intelligence was investigated as an option for providing social and emotional support for pupils in this context. A Year 5 class, aged 9–10, completed activities from a bespoke intervention based on four competencies of emotional intelligence from the Six Seconds model. Pre-intervention and post-intervention data was collected from the pupils. Quantitative data was generated from the Self Description Questionnaire and the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence–Youth Version questionnaire. Qualitative data was collected from a supported reading comprehension task, observations of drama and problem-solving activities and post-intervention interviews of teachers and pupils. The results indicate a positive impact of the intervention on the class, particularly on children’s relationships with peers. This would support the notion that the skills of emotional intelligence can be taught and learned. It became apparent that my innovative pedagogy created a classroom culture of inclusion, kindness and respect, as well as building resilience. It was very difficult to isolate the intervention results from my pedagogy. The findings further suggest teachers have limited knowledge of the skills of emotional intelligence, and that pupils place value upon pastoral systems that their teachers value. This thesis connects existing views and models in a new way. Methodological contributions include considering the effect of the individual pedagogy upon an intervention and conducting rigorous classroom research.