The present study investigated the emotional intelligence of secondary school teachers and examined its relationship with selected demographic variables, namely gender, school management, academic qualification, and professional qualification. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was conducted among 132 secondary school teachers working in government and private schools in and around Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. Data were collected using a researcher-constructed Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire comprising 102 items measured on a five-point Likert scale. The instrument demonstrated high reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.89. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests. The findings revealed a significant difference in emotional intelligence between male and female teachers, with male teachers exhibiting higher emotional intelligence than female teachers. However, no significant differences were found with respect to school management (government and private), academic qualification (graduation and post-graduation), or professional qualification (B.Ed. and M.Ed.). The study concludes that while gender influences emotional intelligence among secondary school teachers, educational and professional qualifications and school management do not significantly affect emotional intelligence. The findings highlight the importance of integrating emotional intelligence training into teacher education programmes and continuous professional development initiatives to enhance teachers' emotional competence, classroom effectiveness, and overall educational quality.

Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Secondary School Teachers, Gender, Academic Qualification, Professional Qualification.