Correlation between Emotional Intelligence and Creative Behaviour of Primary School Teachers

There is a certain amount of research that proves that positive emotions and mood play an important role in creative human activity (Abele-Brehm, 1992; Tokarz, 2011; Kunat, 2015). Particularly valuable is ability to recognise emotions and communicate them. It is also important to accept experienced emotions, gain a skill to react accordingly as well as ability to evoke and regulate emotions. According to Salovey and Mayer’s model, the aforementioned dispositions are elements of emotional intelligence. It turns out that emotional intelligence can stimulate creative activity since it enables management of emotional expenditure (Nęcka, 2001). The paper presents results of research conducted among teachers of primary schools. It was assumed that there is a correlation between emotional intelligence and creative activity of teachers. The research can contribute to development of emotional skills of teachers and to intensify their creative activity. That, in turn, can translate into shaping of innovative school environment that fits the needs of contemporary young person - a student.