The Effectiveness of a Psychological Guidance Program in Developing the Emotional Intelligence within Basic Education Students in Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a psychological guidance program in enhancing emotional intelligence among primary education students in the Sultanate of Oman. To achieve this, the researcher designed a psychological guidance program and an emotional intelligence scale. The study utilized an experimental approach with two equivalent groups: an experimental group and a control group. The sample consisted of 52 students (26 in each group), randomly selected from second-grade primary students in a school in North Batinah Governorate, Sultanate of Oman. Both groups were matched in terms of age, gender, general intelligence, and emotional intelligence. The study employed the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices Test and the researcher's own Emotional Intelligence Scale, which demonstrated adequate reliability and validity. The psychological guidance program was administered to the experimental group, while the control group received no intervention. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in emotional intelligence scores between pre- and post-testing within the experimental group, indicating the effectiveness of the guidance program. Additionally, post-testing scores were significantly higher in the experimental group compared to the control group, indicating the superiority of the program. The study concludes with several recommendations and suggestions.