A Influência da Inteligência Emocional no Rendimento Escolar dos Alunos da 11ª Classe da Escola Secundária de Muatala

This investigation deals with the influence of Emotional Intelligence (EI) on the academic performance of 11th-grade students at Muatala Secondary School in Nampula. The study is based on the premise that academic success does not depend exclusively on cognitive skills but is significantly mediated by the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions. A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, as well as systematic field observations as data collection instruments. The theoretical framework was based on Daniel Goleman's EI model and social-emotional learning theories. The results reveal that EI acts as a buffer against stress and a catalyst for motivation and persistence. It was identified that teacher empathy is a decisive factor in student engagement, while the absence of formal psycho-pedagogical support strategies contributes to anxiety and low tolerance for frustration in the face of academic obstacles. The study concludes that the integration of emotional education into the curriculum and the continuous training of teachers in social-emotional skills are fundamental strategies for improving academic performance and for the integral development of students in the Mozambican context.