Development of university students’ emotional intelligence as a result of active learning methods application in psychology lectures

Statement of the problem. Supplementing the Federal State Educational Standards with requirements for graduates’ practical application of psychological knowledge involves focusing on active teaching methods in teaching psychology to students of non-psychology specialties. In order to effectively solve problems in educational and future professional activities, students need to develop the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and use emotions when solving problems. These abilities are included in emotional intelligence structure. The purpose of this article is to examine contemporary models of emotional intelligence and the potential for its development among students, as well as to present the findings of a study designed to identify changes in the magnitude of emotional intelligence indicators among students as a result of learning through exercises that foster its components. Methodology (materials and methods). The theoretical foundation for this study was the model of emotional intelligence developed by P. Salovey and J. Mayer. The study used psychodiagnostic, experimental (conducting lectures with and without the use of active learning methods), and statistical methods. The psychodiagnostic method included the Emotional Intelligence test (MSCEIT v. 2.0) by J. Mayer, P. Salovey, and D. Caruso, adapted by E.A. Sergienko and I.I. Vetrova, as well as the questionnaire for diagnosing emotional intelligence (MEI), developed by M.A. Manoylova. Research results. When comparing the indicators of emotional intelligence among groups of students from different specialties prior to the lectures, no significant differences were found. The absence of differences was also observed after the lectures, although there was a general reduction in the severity of the emotional intelligence indicators in both the control and experimental groups. Students who completed exercises experienced a decrease in fewer indicators than those who did not participate in the exercises during the lecture. Conclusion. The results of the study provide valuable insights into students’ emotional intelligence and its development. The results will be useful for psychology teachers and researchers interested in the effectiveness of acquisition in the learning process.