Emotional Intelligence and Separation Anxiety as Predictors of School Refusal among Children.

Abstract

This study aimed at revealing out the level of school refusal and its relationship with emotional intelligence and separation anxiety of children in the schools. Scales of school refusal, emotional intelligence and separation anxiety have been used to achieve this aim after being arabicized and tested for validity and relaiability indications for each of them. The sample consist of 294 students: 149 males, and 145 females, whom were chosen randomly from the first grade from the schools of Irbid province, and children aged 4-5-6 years. Results showed that the level of school refusalof children was low. It also revealed that there were statistically significant differences (α = 0.05) in school rejection due to gender. Males were more likely to refuse school than females. It also showed that there were statistically significant differences (α = 0.05) in school refusal due to grade. KG1 children were more likely to refuse school of the KG2 and first grade, and the children of the KG2 are more likely to refuse school than the children of the first grade.Results showed that separation anxiety and emotional intelligence are predicting of school refusal. Separation anxiety had a positive impact followed by emotional intelligence which had a negative impact on school refusal. Separation anxiety variable explained 23.9% of the variance of school refusal, whereas emotional intelligence explained 5.1% of the variance. In light of the results, the researcher provided a set of recommendations.