Abstract:

The aim of the present empirical pilot study was to reveal the personal competency set involved in problem solving as a sub-skill of emotional intelligence in the case of higher education students and teachers. The research tools involved TTI TriMetrix® Personal Report (Comp) questionnaires regarding HARTMAN value profile, motivation and behaviour. Teachers’ behaviour was examined when facing educational challenges that they have not been prepared for during teacher training. In the case of students, the questionnaires aimed to discover the extent to which creative problem solving or divergent thinking contributes to the development of successful career socialisation in a multicultural environment. For triangulation purposes, class observations involving the surveyed teachers and students were carried out. The sample of the questionnaire survey comprised of 40 students studying at Hungarian higher education institutions and 20 teachers teaching at the same institutions. The research results justified the original research hypothesis i.e. the higher the emotional knowledge capacity of the teacher and the student, the higher the possibility to become efficient and to successfully tackle circumstances in a 21st century society. The research results might contribute to both teacher training and to the establishment of an up-to-date curriculum model to develop emotional competencies and creative thinking for higher education students. Further research is needed to justify the hypothesis on samples involving a larger number of participants.

Keywords:

problem solving, emotional competencies, creative thinking.