An Exploration Of Soft Skills In Relation To Teaching Competencies: A Correlational Study

Abstract

Soft skills refer to non-technical skills that are crucial for proficient communication, problem-solving, and collaboration. Within the realm of education, soft skills are of utmost importance, as teachers must possess a strong foundation of knowledge and pedagogical expertise. Nevertheless, it is imperative for teachers to proficiently engage in communication with pupils, effectively cooperate with colleagues and parents, and efficiently handle their time and workload. This correlational study explores the relationship between soft skills and teaching competencies. We collected data using a questionnaire that consisted of two parts: one assessing the teachers' soft skills and the other assessing their teaching competencies. We used the positivism paradigm in this quantitative research study. The population included all public-sector university teachers in Punjab. Using the cluster sampling method, researchers chose 152 teachers from Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Ghazi University, and Dera Ghazi Khan. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences analyzed the data using mean, standard deviation, skewness kurtosis, Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between soft skills and teaching competencies, suggesting that teachers with higher soft skills will likely have better teaching competencies. This study suggests that creating awareness about the importance of soft skills in the teaching and learning process should be considered an essential component of teacher training programs.