Professional Advancement Of Secondary School Teachers Through Social Intelligence

knowledge and pedagogical expertise. Social intelligence, defined as the ability to perceive, interpret and manage social
relationships effectively, plays a crucial role in teachers’ professional functioning. The present study investigates the
level and dimensions of social intelligence among secondary school teachers and examines whether significant
differences exist based on gender and teaching experience. A descriptive survey design was employed with a sample of
102 secondary school teachers from Kerala, India. Data were collected using a Social Intelligence Scale developed by
the investigator, consisting of five dimensions: recognition of social environments, the art of reading others, conflict
handling, relationship management and social understanding. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test and oneway
ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that most teachers demonstrate effective levels of
social intelligence, particularly in relationship management and social understanding. Significant differences were
observed with respect to gender and teaching experience. The findings emphasize the importance of incorporating social
intelligence training into teacher education programs and professional development initiatives to enhance teacher
effectiveness and classroom interactions.