Published on May 2026 | Education, Leadership and Management, Labor Employment

Emotional Intelligence and Occupational Stress: Its Influence on Teacher’s Productivity

Teaching is widely recognized as one of the most demanding professions, with educators frequently encountering work-related stress and navigating various adversities within the school environment. Amidst these challenges, resilience and courage become essential attributes that enable teachers to adapt and persevere. This study aimed to determine the influence of emotional intelligence and occupational stress on teachers’ productivity. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational research design with regression analysis, the study involved 261 teacher-respondents. Inferential analysis revealed two key findings. First, emotional intelligence was found to have a statistically significant influence on teachers' productivity; however, the nature of this influence was negative, suggesting that higher emotional intelligence scores were associated with lower productivity levels. Second, occupational stress showed no significant influence on teachers' productivity. The negative relationship between emotional intelligence and productivity presents a compelling implication: it is possible that highly emotionally intelligent teachers may invest substantial time and energy in managing interpersonal relationships, addressing student emotional needs, and navigating complex social dynamics—efforts that, while valuable, may not be fully captured by traditional productivity metrics. Empowered and motivated teachers remain instrumental in achieving positive work-related outcomes, underscoring the need for schools to recognize and support the holistic contributions of their educators.