Faculty
Dr. Jeanne Thomas EdD Presents Her Doctoral Research at Conference in Bulgaria
This past summer, faculty member, Dr. Jeanne Thomas had the opportunity to present her doctoral research at the Foundation for Developing Emotional Intelligence in Sofia, Bulgaria. The title of her presentation was: A Single Case Study of College Students’ Self-Awareness and How it Relates How it Relates to Teamwork. The presentation shared results from a single case study she conducted at the San Francisco campus in the fall of 2019 as part of her doctoral dissertation.
The case-study goal was to better understand how sophomore students describe Self-Awareness and how it relates to teamwork. Teamwork is considered an essential 21st-century skill and is now included in most university curricula. Working in teams can help college students learn skills such as leadership and problem-solving. Effective teams are defined as those with members who communicate well and whose members possess a high degree of Self-Awareness, which is the primary component of Daniel Goleman’s Framework of Emotional Intelligence.
Daniel Goleman popularized the term Emotional Intelligence in his book from 1995: Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ.
Dr. Thomas used Goleman’s Framework for Emotional Intelligence as the theoretical framework for her study from the text: A Framework for Emotional Competencies. Adapted from The Emotionally Intelligence Workplace: How to Select for, Measure and Improve EI in Individuals, Groups, and Organizations (p. 20), by C. Cherniss and D. Goleman, 2001, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Copyright 2001 by Jossey-Bass.
Participants were sophomore students in their last two quarters of their associate degree programs. A maximum variation model of sampling was used, and the methodology included participant diaries, interviews, and the collection of artifacts. The initial findings supported Goleman’s assertion that Self-Awareness is a gateway component that supports the development of other components of Emotional Intelligence, including Social Awareness, Self-Management, and Relationship Management. Implications for practice may be the way in which college student Self-Awareness relates to teamwork. Results suggest that participant Self-Awareness helped students to manage their emotions and to therefore work better with their teammates.
Dr. Jeanne Thomas is a faculty member in the general studies and Merchandising & Marketing departments, in both the Associates and Bachelors degree programs. She is the recipient of the FIDM Outstanding Faculty Award in the years 2015, 2017, and 2019. A graphic designer and creative director for over 18 years in the tech and financial services industries, she received her BFA from CalArts and holds a Doctorate in Teacher Leadership and a Master’s degree in Curriculum Design. Her research interests are in the intersection of emotional intelligence, peer feedback, and teamwork.
Categories: General Studies Merchandising & Marketing Faculty
