Vol. 3 No. 2 (2017)

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) functions as a foundational psychological trait that shapes social adaptability, interpersonal connections, and instructional success across dynamic teaching and athletic environments (Goleman, 1995; Salovey & Mayer, 1990). Within physical education and sport pedagogy—the framework governing instructional design, psychological climate, and motor skill acquisition—an educator’s capacity to regulate competitive arousal, model stress resilience, and foster psychological safety directly influences athlete motivation and skill mastery (Chan, 2006; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Mousavi et al., 2012). This empirical investigation examined how different institutional work environments (public vs. private) influence overall emotional intelligence and sport pedagogy performance among school educators in Punjab, India. A stratified sample of 120 educators—comprising 60 public school teachers and 60 private school teachers across the Malwa, Majha, and Doaba regions—was evaluated using the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) created by Hyde, Pethe, and Dhar (2001) alongside structured sport pedagogy observational frameworks. Independent-samples -test calculations demonstrated that public school educators () possessed significantly higher overall emotional intelligence and pedagogy-aligned scores than private school educators (), . Specifically, public school teachers demonstrated statistically superior mean scores across key sport pedagogy dimensions, including empathetic coaching instruction, classroom arousal control under competitive pressure, intrinsic athlete motivation, and team dynamics management (). These outcomes highlight how institutional diversity, state-sponsored professional growth initiatives, and specialized athletic development frameworks enhance emotional resilience and teaching success in evolving educational and sporting settings.