Predicting Teaching Effectiveness among Secondary School Teachers Based on Digital Adaptability and Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

When considering the complexities and spontaneity of real-life classroom scenarios in the 21st century, the student outcome, engagement, satisfaction and quality education are highly dependent on the effectiveness of the teacher and their teaching. The present study adopts a descriptive survey design in order to predict the relation between factors that affect the Teaching Effectiveness (TE) of secondary school teachers. The two variables which play the predictive role are: Digital Adaptability (DA) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) of the teachers, and the study also explores the correlation between the two variables. A descriptive survey method is employed, and data are collected from 112 teachers in Angul district, Odisha, using standardised and self-developed instruments. Statistical techniques such as Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analysis are used for data analysis. The findings reveal that emotional intelligence has a moderate and statistically significant positive relationship with teaching effectiveness (r = 0.508), whereas digital adaptability shows a comparatively weaker but significant relationship (r = 0.260, p < 0.01). Further, regression analysis indicates that emotional intelligence and digital adaptability together significantly predict teaching effectiveness, explaining 26.0 per cent of the variance (R² = 0.260). Among the predictors, emotional intelligence emerges as the stronger and significant contributor, while digital adaptability does not show a significant independent contribution when considered alongside emotional intelligence. The study highlights the central role of emotional competencies in enhancing teaching effectiveness and indicates the need to view teaching effectiveness as a multidimensional construct shaped by both psychological and technological factors.