Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part D (2025)

The study investigated the effectiveness of Transactional Analysis (TA)-based group therapy in enhancing the emotional intelligence of secondary school students and examined the differential influence of gender and academic achievement level on the effectiveness of the intervention. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control group design was adopted. The sample consisted of 158 ninth-grade students selected from a secondary school in Ernakulam district, Kerala. Emotional intelligence was measured using the Student Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS) developed on the basis of Goleman’s Trait Model, showing strong reliability and validity indices. The treatment groups received a TA-based psycho-educational intervention named TAP-3, consisting of 14 group sessions of about 40 minutes each. Post-test data were analyzed using ANCOVA, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed a significant improvement in emotional intelligence among students who underwent the TA-based intervention, with a large effect size, establishing the effectiveness of the programme. No significant gender differences were found in intervention outcomes, indicating equal benefit for boys and girls. However, significant differences emerged based on academic achievement level, with low achievers showing the greatest improvement. The findings highlight the value of TA-based group therapy as a viable school-based strategy for promoting emotional intelligence.