Emotional Intelligence and Teachers' Work Engagement: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Perceived Stress

A growing number of studies have tested the relationship between personal resources (e.g. emotional intelligence) and indicators of occupational well-being, including work engagement. However, few have examined health-related factors moderating or mediating the pathway from emotional intelligence to work engagement. A better knowledge of this area would contribute substantially to the design of effective intervention strategies. The present study's main goal was to test the mediating and moderating role of perceived stress in the association between emotional intelligence and work engagement. The participants comprised 1166 Spanish teaching professionals (744 of whom were female and 537 worked as secondary teachers; M-age = 44.28 years). The results showed that perceived stress partially mediated the link between emotional intelligence and work engagement. Moreover, the positive relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement was strengthened among individuals who scored high in perceived stress. The results suggest that multifaceted interventions targeting stress management and emotional intelligence development may facilitate engagement in emotionally demanding occupations such as teaching.

Automated summary

A growing number of studies have examined the relationship between personal resources, such as emotional intelligence, and occupational well-being, particularly work engagement. However, few studies have investigated the role of health-related factors in mediating or moderating this relationship. This study aimed to explore the mediating and moderating role of perceived stress in the association between emotional intelligence and work engagement. The results revealed that perceived stress partially mediated the link between emotional intelligence and work engagement, and the positive relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement was stronger among individuals experiencing high levels of perceived stress. These findings suggest that interventions targeting stress management and emotional intelligence development can enhance work engagement in emotionally demanding professions like teaching.