Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers

Aminath Nahudha; Gow Celia Devi Krishnan; Zaida Binti Mustafa

doi:10.30828/real.1878540

Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers

Abstract

Emotional Intelligence is widely recognized as a critical leadership competency in education, influencing teacher wellbeing, and organizational effectiveness. In the Maldivian education system, Senior Management Team face ongoing challenges such as classroom conflicts, low teacher morale, and emotionally demanding work environments. Despite increasing attention to EQ, limited research has examined how leading teachers enact EQ in their everyday leadership practices within this context. This study addresses this gap by exploring how leading teachers apply EQ to manage conflicts, sustain self-awareness, and motivate teachers experiencing low morale. A qualitative phenomenological design was selected to gain a deep, experiential understanding of how leading teachers subjectively interpret and navigate emotional dynamics in real-time. The study explored the lived experiences of 17 purposively selected leading teachers, a sample size aligning with qualitative guidelines and sufficient for reaching data saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework. The findings indicate that for conflict management (RQ1), leading teachers rely on empathy and active listening, to sustain self-awareness (RQ2), they utilize mindful self-reflection and emotional regulation, and to motivate peers (RQ3), they apply recognition and compassionate flexibility. These findings extend transformational leadership theory by providing a culturally contextualized framework that maps Goleman's EQ model onto the collectivist, community-oriented dynamics of small island developing states. Future research should examine longitudinal effects of EQ-based leadership interventions and culturally responsive adaptations across diverse educational settings.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the relevant institutional ethics committee prior to data collection. All participants were fully informed about the purpose of the study, the research procedures, and their rights as participants. Informed consent was obtained from all participants before participation. Participation was entirely voluntary, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any stage without penalty. Confidentiality and anonymity were ensured by using pseudonyms and removing any identifying information from transcripts and reports. All data were securely stored and accessed only by the researcher.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Leadership in Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Aminath Nahudha ^*
0009-0005-7322-2039
Malaysia

Gow Celia Devi Krishnan This is me
0009-0001-9333-3167
Malaysia

Zaida Binti Mustafa This is me
0009-0002-9538-0888
Malaysia

Publication Date

June 27, 2026

Submission Date

February 6, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 20, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1878540

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA45FT68MT

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Nahudha, A., Devi Krishnan, G. C., & Mustafa, Z. B. (2026). Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 11(2), 501-543. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1878540

AMA

1.Nahudha A, Devi Krishnan GC, Mustafa ZB. Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers. REAL. 2026;11(2):501-543. doi:10.30828/real.1878540

Chicago

Nahudha, Aminath, Gow Celia Devi Krishnan, and Zaida Binti Mustafa. 2026. “Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11 (2): 501-43. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1878540.

EndNote

Nahudha A, Devi Krishnan GC, Mustafa ZB (June 1, 2026) Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11 2 501–543.

IEEE

[1]A. Nahudha, G. C. Devi Krishnan, and Z. B. Mustafa, “Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers”, REAL, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 501–543, June 2026, doi: 10.30828/real.1878540.

ISNAD

Nahudha, Aminath - Devi Krishnan, Gow Celia - Mustafa, Zaida Binti. “Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11/2 (June 1, 2026): 501-543. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1878540.

JAMA

1.Nahudha A, Devi Krishnan GC, Mustafa ZB. Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers. REAL. 2026;11:501–543.

MLA

Nahudha, Aminath, et al. “Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, vol. 11, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 501-43, doi:10.30828/real.1878540.

Vancouver

1.Aminath Nahudha, Gow Celia Devi Krishnan, Zaida Binti Mustafa. Emotional Intelligence in Action: How Leading Teachers in the Maldives Resolve Conflict, Sustain Self-Awareness, and Motivate Peers. REAL. 2026 Jun. 1;11(2):501-43. doi:10.30828/real.1878540