Dataset Assessing Teachers' Emotional Intelligence Using the MSCEIT

According to the World Bank [12], the internationalization of higher education has reshaped classrooms in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in Foundation Year Programs (FYPs), where linguistic and cultural diversity is now the norm. In these settings, teacher emotional intelligence (EI) plays a vital role in fostering inclusion, promoting student engagement, and managing classroom stress. Despite this, few studies have explored the direct impact of EI on classroom effectiveness in Gulf-region contexts. This study investigates the relationship between teacher EI and three performance domains: student engagement, empathy, and stress resilience. A total of 83 FYP English language teachers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE completed the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Complementary data were collected from 300 student surveys and 10 classroom observations using a structured MSCEIT-aligned rubric. Analyses included one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. Results show that high-EI teachers consistently outperform their peers in engagement, empathy, and stress management. These findings support Bar-On’s Emotional-Social Intelligence model and reinforce the importance of EI in effective teaching. The study offers a replicable, multi-method framework and recommends integrating EI-focused training in teacher education. Future research should explore longitudinal effects and culturally adaptive strategies to enhance emotional intelligence in diverse classrooms.