Impact of Demographic Backgrounds by Humanities and Social Sciences Students on Their Psychological of Emotional Intelligence Skill: Structural Equation Multiple Cause and Multiple Indicator (SEM-MIMIC) Model

Abstract

Background and Aims: Although the educational framework aims to develop employability skills, there is concern among establishments regarding educational policies and accredited bodies. However, it is not widely known that students in humanities and social sciences perceive general emotional intelligence skills. Part of the motivation to learn such skills stems from Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs and students' backgrounds. The development of these skills in higher education institutions often occurs through specific initiatives only, without a well-structured curriculum design framework. The conflict over the differences and interpretation of general skills across disciplines makes designing a framework more challenging. This study aims to 1) perform exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis of emotional intelligence skills for students in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs within the humanities and social sciences, and 2) To examine a structural equation of multiple causes and multiple indicator (SEM-MIMIC) model of emotional intelligence skills for students in WIL programs within the same fields using techniques that test the congruence between variables and confirm the relationship between individual variables and their respective components. Methodology: This cross-sectional research and stratified random sampling and online questionnaire were conducted among 780 third and fourth-year humanities and social sciences WIL program students from eight universities in Thailand. The online survey consisted mainly of items that asked students to rate their level of self-efficacy in 28 general emotional intelligence skills. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analyses and SEM-MIMIC models were performed to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument to its evidence of reliability and validity. Results: Structural validity checks of the tool through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that humanities and social sciences students returning from WIL programs of more than 16 weeks or one academic semester of the workplace have components of emotional intelligence skills, namely 1) emotional awareness, 2) emotional management, and 3) effective relationship management. Analysis using the Structural Equation Multiple Cause and Multiple Indicator (SEM-MIMIC) model showed that demographic variables such as gender, year level, cumulative grade point average, and major affect the development of emotional intelligence skills in humanities and social sciences students. The model's consistency with empirical data is demonstrated by the following values: ( = 832.892, df = 353, p = 0.000, / df = 2.360, CFI = 0.945, TLI = 0.924, RMSEA = 0.058, SRMR = 0.040). Conclusion: The analysis by the SEM-MIMIC model allows researchers to precisely understand how demographic backgrounds can impact emotional intelligence skills and that the measurement of these skills in humanities and social sciences students who have completed more than 16 weeks or one academic semester of workplace experience is beneficial for promoting WIL programs in these faculties. These programs can foster engagement with establishments, and career development advisors, and assist students in developing emotional intelligence skills for future livelihood and career advancement.