This research focuses on examining the level of emotional intelligence (EI) among primary education teacher students, utilizing the MSCEIT (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test), and its associations with active listening skills (AEL-S). The aim of the study was to describe the emotional intelligence level of students and analyze how the various EI dimensions correlate with active listening skills (which are detailed in the paper by Havigerová et al., 2025). The research sample consists of 50 participants, students of elementary teaching, with a mean age of 20.54 years (SD = 0.58, the age range is from 20 to 22 years).

The results reveal that the overall average EI score of the students was 45.79 (95% CI: 44.69–46.89). The highest average score was obtained in the emotional regulation dimension (mean = 65.31, 95% CI: 57.59–73.02), while the lowest average score was in the emotional understanding dimension (mean = 22.16, 95% CI: 16.70–27.63).

Correlation analyses between the MSCEIT dimensions revealed positive relationships between emotion perception and emotional understanding (Spearman's rho = 0.352, p < 0.05), suggesting that students who are better at perceiving emotions tend to have a better understanding of their meaning. On the other hand, the emotional regulation dimension showed weaker and non-significant correlations with other dimensions, indicating that this area of EI is not strongly connected with other aspects.

Further analysis focused on the correlations between the active listening subtests (sensing, processing, and responding) and the MSCEIT dimensions. The results showed that sensing had a positive and significant correlation with the emotion utilization dimension (r = 0.136, p < 0.01) and support (r = 0.237, p = 0.097), indicating that the ability to recognize and perceive emotions is associated with actively using emotions in interactions and providing support in relationships. Processing (emotion processing) showed significant correlations with the emotional understanding dimension (r = 0.311, p = 0.028), supporting the theory that processing emotions plays a role in understanding their significance. Responding had a positive correlation with the emotion utilization dimension (r = 0.397, p < 0.001) and change (r = 0.271, p = 0.016), suggesting that the ability to appropriately respond to emotions is connected to effective use of emotions in practical situations and adaptability in changing conditions.

In practical terms, these results suggest that teacher training programs should prioritize the development of emotional understanding and processing skills, alongside emotional regulation. Fostering these areas of emotional intelligence in teacher education can enhance not only their emotional competence but also their ability to engage in active listening, ultimately benefiting their interactions with students and their ability to create a supportive, emotionally intelligent classroom environment.

Keywords: Active Listening, teacher education, emotional intelligence, correlation-based study.