Individualist-collectivist profiles in secondary school: an exploratory study of trait emotional intelligence and academic achievement

An individualist (I) or collectivist (C) cultural orientation affects individuals' attitudes, behaviours and values. This study aimed to identify the first-year secondary-school students' I-C profiles and explore their implications for students' trait emotional intelligence (EI), emotions towards school and academic achievement (GPA) throughout the 3-year secondary-school cycle. A total of 222 secondary-school students (58.6% females; Mage = 15.4; SD = .63 in the 10th grade) were enrolled in a longitudinal study. The cluster analysis identified three distinct I-C profiles: high individualist-low collectivist students, low individualistic-midlevel collectivist students and high individualist-high collectivist students. The results revealed significant differences between the I-C profiles regarding students' trait EI, emotions towards school and GPA throughout secondary school, in particular favouring the high individualist-high collectivist profile. These findings are discussed based on the practical implications for students' outcomes in the current secondary school system.