In the beginning, psychologists focused on cognitive constructs like memory and problem solving in their first attempt to write on intelligence. This did not last when researchers begun to challenge this orientation and recognized that there are other non-cognitive aspects of intelligence. For instance, Robert Thorndike wrote about social intelligence in 1937. And as early as 1943, Wechsler,D. (1943) proposed that the non-intellective abilities are essential for predicting one‟s ability to succeed in life. Goleman (1995) gave a short of answer when he asserted that success depends on several intelligences and on the control of emotion .Specifically, he stressed that intelligence
(IQ) alone is no more the measure of success. According to him intelligent account for only 20% of the total success, and the rest goes for Emotional and Social intelligences. Abisamra (2000) then queried that if this is found to be so, why the teachers don‟t begin to teach its components (i.e.., emotional intelligence) to students at schools?
He then concluded that if emotional intelligence affects student achievement, then it is imperative for schools to integrate it in their curricula and thereby raising the level of students‟ success. According to Salovey and Mayer (1990), Emotional Intelligence is being able to monitor one‟s own and other‟s feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this to guide one‟s thinking and actions.
Again, Salovey and Mayer (1993) wrote that an emotionally intelligent person is skilled in four areas: identifying, using, understanding, and regulating emotions. Similarly, Goleman also stressed that emotional intelligence consists of five components: Knowing one‟s emotions (self-awareness), managing them, motivating self, recognizing emotions in others (empathy), and handling relationships.
Achievement outcomes have been