Examining the relationship of classroom teachers with the level of emotional intelligence and the level of supporting learner autonomy

The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between classroom teachers ' levels of emotional intelligence and their views on behaviors that promote learner autonomy. For this purpose, the behaviors of classroom teachers ' perceptions of promoting learner autonomy emotional intelligence levels determined to learner autonomy promoting behaviors of classroom teachers examined the relationship between emotional intelligence levels. In addition, it was determined whether various variables of teachers made a significant difference in their perceptions. The research was carried out with the relational screening model and 400 classroom teachers who worked in official state primary schools in Erzincan city center and central towns participated in the study in the 2018-2019 academic year. The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the learner autonomy support behaviors scale, and The Emotional Intelligence Scale. Statistical analysis of the study was conducted with the SPSS-15 package program and the analysis of the data included percentage, frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Mann Whitney U-test, Kruskal Wallis H test and Spearman Rho correlation analyses. According to the results of the study, the emotional intelligence levels of classroom teachers, perceptions of the need for behaviors to support learner autonomy, and the level of exhibiting this behavior are high. According to the demographic characteristics of the teachers, gender, year of service at school, and the graduate branch, there was no significant difference between the levels of emotional intelligence in both the total score and the lower dimensions according to the study variables. Year of service at school and the study variables in the graduated branch. There was a significant difference in using emotions in the age and seniority variables and in the total score, in the job satisfaction variable in all the lower dimensions and in the total score, and in the education status variable in the lower dimension of using emotions. There was found to be significant difference in the marital status variable in favor of married classroom teachers. When the teachers are examined according to demographic characteristics, it is observed that there is no significant difference between the level of requirement and the level of requirement in the lower dimensions of marital status, seniority, year of service at the school, working status in the graduated branch and behaviors of supporting learner autonomy according to the education status. While there was no significant difference in the lower dimension of evaluation support only according to the gender variable, there was a significant difference in the other lower dimensions and the total score. In the age variable, there was a significant difference in the lower dimension of learning process support. It was determined that there was a significant difference in all sub-dimensions and total scale score according to occupation satisfaction variable. When the behavior of teachers to support learner autonomy was examined according to demographic variables, there was no significant difference in the overall score and lower dimensions of the level of exhibiting according to age, working and education status in the graduated branch. There was a significant difference in the lower dimension of emotion and thought support according to the gender variable, in the lower dimensions of emotion and thought support and evaluation support in the marital status variable, and in the lower dimensions and total score in the occupation satisfaction variable. In the seniority and year of Service variables, there was a significant difference only in the lower dimension of assessment support. There has been a positive correlation between the emotional intelligence levels of classroom teachers and the necessity and exhibiting levels of learner autonomy-supporting behaviors on a total scale and in lower dimensions. As a result of these results, suggestions were made for classroom teachers to plan the learning process with activities that enhance emotional intelligence, to support teachers ' autonomy in education and training processes, and to include students in autonomy processes in line with their skills.