IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON SPOUSAL ABANDONMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS: THE NEED FOR VALUE ORIENTATION.

Abstract

The phenomenon of spouses abandoning their marital responsibilities is increasingly becoming a critical issue in many relationships, with profound repercussions for both partners and their children, if any. This study investigates how emotional intelligence might act as a mitigating factor against marital abandonment within the community of secondary school teachers in the Ilorin metropolitan region. Through a descriptive survey approach, the research sets out to accomplish multiple goals: evaluating the levels of emotional intelligence among these educators; examining their encounters with marital abandonment; probing into how emotional intelligence could potentially lessen the instances of marital abandonment; and scrutinizing any gender-based differences in emotional intelligence and experiences of marital abandonment among the teaching staff in Ilorin, Kwara State. The target population for this research included all secondary school teachers in the Ilorin metropolitan area, estimated to be 9,298 individuals, from which a sample of 400 teachers was randomly selected for detailed study. The study used a questionnaire titled "Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Gender on Marital Desertion Questionnaire (IEIGMDQ)" to collect data on marital desertion. The questionnaire was content-validated and tested with a reliability coefficient of 0.85. Demographic data was analyzed using percentages, mean, standard deviation, and rank order, while three null hypotheses were analyzed using a t-test statistical tool. The results indicated that a significant portion of the married secondary school educators displayed a strong presence of emotional intelligence. Despite this, they faced issues of marital neglect, characterized by their partners' indifference towards their basic needs, lack of support during challenging times, and neglect of their expected responsibilities, among other concerns. The study found that emotional intelligence doesn't significantly impact marital abandonment among married secondary school teachers in the Ilorin metropolitan area. There was no significant difference in emotional intelligence levels between male and female educators.The phenomenon of spouses abandoning their marital responsibilities is increasingly becoming a critical issue in many relationships, with profound repercussions for both partners and their children, if any. This study investigates how emotional intelligence might act as a mitigating factor against marital abandonment within the community of secondary school teachers in the Ilorin metropolitan region. Through a descriptive survey approach, the research sets out to accomplish multiple goals: evaluating the levels of emotional intelligence among these educators; examining their encounters with marital abandonment; probing into how emotional intelligence could potentially lessen the instances of marital abandonment; and scrutinizing any gender-based differences in emotional intelligence and experiences of marital abandonment among the teaching staff in Ilorin, Kwara State. The target population for this research included all secondary school teachers in the Ilorin metropolitan area, estimated to be 9,298 individuals, from which a sample of 400 teachers was randomly selected for detailed study. The study used a questionnaire titled "Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Gender on Marital Desertion Questionnaire (IEIGMDQ)" to collect data on marital desertion. The questionnaire was content-validated and tested with a reliability coefficient of 0.85. Demographic data was analyzed using percentages, mean, standard deviation, and rank order, while three null hypotheses were analyzed using a t-test statistical tool. The results indicated that a significant portion of the married secondary school educators displayed a strong presence of emotional intelligence. Despite this, they faced issues of marital neglect, characterized by their partners' indifference towards their basic needs, lack of support during challenging times, and neglect of their expected responsibilities, among other concerns. The study found that emotional intelligence doesn't significantly impact marital abandonment among married secondary school teachers in the Ilorin metropolitan area. There was no significant difference in emotional intelligence levels between male and female educators.