INTEGRATING SOFT SKILLS INTO A TEACHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Authors

  • MACQUAL, STEPHEN MAREN Faculty of Education, Department of Science and Technology Education, University of Jos, Nigeria Author
  • UMI KALSUM MOHD. SALLEH Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Technology, University of Malaya, Malaysia Author
  • HUTKEMRI ZULNAIDI Faculty of Education, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, University of Malaya, Malaysia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61841/j2b2bq91

Keywords:

soft skills, teacher education, pre-service teachers, partial least square structural equation modelling, Nigeria., Mixed method

Abstract

 Recent developments suggest that soon, soft skillsare likely to become moreimportant in
sustaining teachers duringteaching. This study looks at pre-service teachers’ soft skills
gained from participation insoft skillscourses that are compulsory second- and third-year
undergraduate teacher education course designed to equip preservice teachers with
sustainablesoft skills.We grounded our study on acceptance and commitment training, and
social change modelto examine the extent soft skills can be effectively fostered in teachereducation.We used paper questionnaires and performed data analysis usingSPSS and
SmartPLS software in aquasi-experimental procedure with a population of 722 pre-service
teachers.In all semesters scores on the soft skills scales showed significant improvement over
the course of the semester, with moderate to large positive effect. Experienced and novice
pre-service teachers were compared. Importantly, it was found that the effect of the course
fostering was successful across participants as analysis did not show any significant
difference between the participants in the soft skills self-rated scales. Partial least square
structural equation modelling analysis revealed interestinglythat all the pre-service teachers
gained soft skills in levels that were both moderate and significant.Implying the strength of
the soft skills curriculum and the credit-hours allocated must be examined. 

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Published

24.09.2024

How to Cite

STEPHEN MAREN, M., SALLEH, U. K. M., & ZULNAIDI, H. (2024). INTEGRATING SOFT SKILLS INTO A TEACHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 25(2), 438-460. https://doi.org/10.61841/j2b2bq91