Abstract

Adolescence is a developmental stage characterized by psychological, biological, and social changes, during which emotional recognition and regulation are still developing. Difficulties in socio-emotional competence may be associated with behavioral and emotional challenges, highlighting the need for appropriate emotional education activities in school settings.

This study aimed to examine changes in emotional intelligence (EI) and the empathy among lower secondary school students following a three-week Emotional Reflective Journaling (ERJ) activity. An exploratory quantitative design with a one-group pretest–posttest model was conducted with 30 students. The instruments used were the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and the Basic Empathy Scale (BES). The data were collected at two time points and analyzed using paired-sample t-tests.

The results showed no statistically significant differences (p > .05) in EI or empathy before and after participation. The descriptive analysis indicated a change in the direction of increase in cognitive empathy; however, this difference was not statistically significant.

The findings may be influenced by the short duration of the activity, developmental characteristics of adolescents, and the independent writing format without professional feedback. Despite limitations related to the absence of a control group and the small sample size, the study provides preliminary empirical evidence on the feasibility of ERJ in the Vietnamese educational context and suggests directions for future research with longer durations and more rigorous designs.