Towards Emotionally Intelligent Software Engineers: Understanding Students' Self-Perceptions After a Cooperative Learning Experience

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Araújo, Allysson Allex, Kalinowski, Marcos, Paixao, Matheus, Graziotin, Daniel
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Araújo, Allysson Allex
Kalinowski, Marcos
Paixao, Matheus
Graziotin, Daniel
author_facet Araújo, Allysson Allex
Kalinowski, Marcos
Paixao, Matheus
Graziotin, Daniel
contents [Background] Emotional Intelligence (EI) can impact Software Engineering (SE) outcomes through improved team communication, conflict resolution, and stress management. SE workers face increasing pressure to develop both technical and interpersonal skills, as modern software development emphasizes collaborative work and complex team interactions. Despite EI's documented importance in professional practice, SE education continues to prioritize technical knowledge over emotional and social competencies. [Objective] This paper analyzes SE students' self-perceptions of their EI after a two-month cooperative learning project, using Mayer and Salovey's four-ability model to examine how students handle emotions in collaborative development. [Method] We conducted a case study with 29 SE students organized into four squads within a project-based learning course, collecting data through questionnaires and focus groups that included brainwriting and sharing circles, then analyzing the data using descriptive statistics and open coding. [Results] Students demonstrated stronger abilities in managing their own emotions compared to interpreting others' emotional states. Despite limited formal EI training, they developed informal strategies for emotional management, including structured planning and peer support networks, which they connected to improved productivity and conflict resolution. [Conclusion] This study shows how SE students perceive EI in a collaborative learning context and provides evidence-based insights into the important role of emotional competencies in SE education.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_05108
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Towards Emotionally Intelligent Software Engineers: Understanding Students' Self-Perceptions After a Cooperative Learning Experience
Araújo, Allysson Allex
Kalinowski, Marcos
Paixao, Matheus
Graziotin, Daniel
Software Engineering
[Background] Emotional Intelligence (EI) can impact Software Engineering (SE) outcomes through improved team communication, conflict resolution, and stress management. SE workers face increasing pressure to develop both technical and interpersonal skills, as modern software development emphasizes collaborative work and complex team interactions. Despite EI's documented importance in professional practice, SE education continues to prioritize technical knowledge over emotional and social competencies. [Objective] This paper analyzes SE students' self-perceptions of their EI after a two-month cooperative learning project, using Mayer and Salovey's four-ability model to examine how students handle emotions in collaborative development. [Method] We conducted a case study with 29 SE students organized into four squads within a project-based learning course, collecting data through questionnaires and focus groups that included brainwriting and sharing circles, then analyzing the data using descriptive statistics and open coding. [Results] Students demonstrated stronger abilities in managing their own emotions compared to interpreting others' emotional states. Despite limited formal EI training, they developed informal strategies for emotional management, including structured planning and peer support networks, which they connected to improved productivity and conflict resolution. [Conclusion] This study shows how SE students perceive EI in a collaborative learning context and provides evidence-based insights into the important role of emotional competencies in SE education.
title Towards Emotionally Intelligent Software Engineers: Understanding Students' Self-Perceptions After a Cooperative Learning Experience
topic Software Engineering
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.05108