Exploring Emotional Intelligence and Anxiety among Technical and Non-Technical Students

Abstract

Courses related to technical education play an important role in the human resource development of the country by creating skilled manpower, enhancing industrial productivity and improving the quality of life. Technical Education as a branch of Vocational Education practically deals with different fields like trade, commerce, agriculture, medicine & Engineering etc. in the modern era we are surrounded by technology in every small aspect which makes life so brain-friendly and simple; and instrumental in providing ease and comfort. In spite of all these advantages, technical education brings mental health challenges for students. The study intends to show the presence of emotional intelligence & anxiety among technical & non-technical undergraduate students of Kolkata. The college years are a developmentally crucial period when students transfer from the previous age, i.e., late adolescence to emerging adulthood (Arnett, 2000). Research findings supported that mental disorders in the early stage of adulthood are related to long-term adverse outcomes in later adulthood, including persistent emotional and physical health problems (Scott et al., 2016), relationship dysfunction (Kerr & Capaldi, 2011), and labour market marginalization (Niederkrotenthaler et al., 2014; Goldman-Mellor et al., 2014). The sample of this study was 280 students (140 technical students and 140 non-technical students) of both sexes and age between 18-22 years. The technique of simple random sampling was used in the study to make the proper representation of the population. Statistical findings reveal the t-test to be significant among the two groups (technical and non-technical) in regard to state anxiety. Under emotional intelligence, managing emotions, motivating oneself and social skills are found to be significant. Thus, it may be said that the students have to deal with situational (state) anxiety and emotion management and social skills are compromised, which help them to adapt to the current social environment that needs to be pondered upon.

Keywords: Technical education; anxiety; emotional intelligence