Emotional intelligence as a factor in optimizing students’ quality of life in the educational environment

<jats:p>The relevance of the study is determined by the contradiction between the growing demands of modern higher education on students’ personal resources and the insufficient development of pedagogical tools to support their subjective well-being in the educational process. In this regard, emotional intelligence acquires particular significance as an important psychological construct that contributes to academic success, social and personal well-being, and professional development of students. However, the pedagogical potential of emotional intelligence as a factor that can purposefully influence students’ quality of life in the educational environment remains insufficiently studied. The research purpose is to synthesize theoretical approaches to the study of emotional intelligence, to analyze its correlation with students’ quality of life, and to identify pedagogical strategies aimed at developing emotional intelligence in the university environment. Methods (tools): theoretical review of Russian and international scientific papers on emotional intelligence, its association with the category of “quality of life,” and opportunities for its development within higher education. The theoretical and methodological framework of the study includes such methods as systematization, comparative analysis, and conceptual modeling. Results: the study has specified the concept of “emotional intelligence” which is defined as the ability to understand one’s own emotions and use them to improve their quality of life. It has also identified and systematized the mechanisms through which emotional intelligence influences students’ subjective quality of life: emotional regulation, social interaction, stress coping, self-esteem and motivation, strategy selection, and value-based self-determination. These mechanisms provided the basis for substantiating pedagogical strategies for developing emotional intelligence including the creation of a humanistically oriented educational environment, the application of different methods and techniques, and the enhancement of teachers’ emotional competence. Key conclusions: the development of students’ emotional intelligence contributes to the improvement of higher education and ensures a high level of students’ subjective quality of life, which confirms its high theoretical and applied significance. The practical value of the study lies in the possibility to apply the identified pe dagogical strategies in designing programs for psychological and pedagogical support of students, as well as in the system of professional development for university faculty.</jats:p>