An Investigation into the Soft Skills of Prospective Teachers

Abstract

Soft skills encompass personality, attitude, and behavior attributes, distinguishing them from formal or technical knowledge. Despite their pivotal role in ensuring success, these skills are challenging to showcase through traditional credentials like CVs, diplomas, or certificates, requiring specialized evaluation. Critical soft skills include communication, problem-solving, time management, teamwork, and leadership, which are particularly crucial for teachers given their central contribution to developing their societies. This quantitative study has investigated the soft skills of prospective teachers aiming to get a teaching certification in Morocco. It has employed a soft skills survey adapted from the Brookings Soft Skills Report Card to collect data. Participants’ responses to the five-point items were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Results have revealed significant variations in perceived soft skills among future teachers based on their majors and seniority, with no discernible correlation between these skills and gender. The findings aim to enhance the literature on student-teachers, offering practical implications derived from the study's outcomes.