Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL Number 7. July 2021 Pp.299- 313
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/call7.21
English Trainee Teachers’ Perspective on Soft Skills Development in Ukraine
Hanna Kniaz
Department of Practice of Oral and Written English
Faculty of Foreign Philology
H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Correspoding Author: knyazanna25@gmail.com
Olena Chukhno
Department of English Phonetics and Grammar
Faculty of Foreign Philology
H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Received: 3/30/2021 Accepted: 7/14/2021 Published: 7/26/2021
Abstract:
The integration of soft skills in training pre-service teachers ensures higher academic performance and provides them with better career opportunities. However, many university teachers pay insufficient attention to developing soft skills in higher education. The article aims to investigate the correlation between the soft skills included in professional teacher training and undergraduates’ viewpoint on soft skills development at university. The authors formulated three research questions: (a) How do English trainee teachers assess their soft skills? (b) How much attention, in students’ opinion, do teachers pay to developing soft skills? (c) Is there a gap between teachers’ work on developing students’ soft skills and trainee teachers’ expectations? To answer these questions, the researchers analized the empirical data received through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 153 English trainee teachers studying at H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine. The respondents answered two close-ended questions regarding the level of soft skills they believe to possess and the amount of time devoted to soft skills development. The findings suggest that most students consider the level of their soft skills intermediate or high. Nevertheless, a significant number of the respondents still feel that teachers pay insufficient or hardly any attention to improving these skills. It is necessary to conduct further research to analyze university teachers’ viewpoint on improving students’ soft skills and organize the development of soft skills which would meet trainee teachers’ expectations.
Keywords: English trainee teachers, higher education, professional teacher training, soft skills
Cite as: Kniaz, H., & Chukhno, O. (2021). English Trainee Teachers’ Perspective on Soft Skills Development in Ukraine. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL (7). 299- 313.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/call7.21
References
Abbas, S. Pd., & Hum, M. (2013). Integrating the English Language Teaching and Learning Process with Soft Skills. International Conference on Education and Language, 365-371.
Bartel, J. (2018). Teaching Soft Skills for Employability. TESL Canada Journal, 35(1), 78-92. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v35i1.1285
Bevz, O., et al. (2020). Core Curriculum “English Language Teaching Methodology”. Bachelor’s Level. Ivano-Frankivsk, NAIR. Retrieved from https://1fd10c7a-6813-41b3-98e8-e5598ca6cc9b.filesusr.com/ugd/15b470_baca9079196447c8abb0ad2b4fbdeaef.pdf
Dharmarajan, P. V., Pachigalla, R., & Lanka, K. (2012). The Significance of Inculcating Soft Skills in Students in the Process of Teaching Hard Skills. International Journal of Applied Research & Studies, 1(2) Retrieved from http://www.hgsitebuilder.com/files/writeable/uploads/hostgator427959/file/ijars209.pdf
Educational Program “English Language and Literature in Educational Institutions”. (2020). Retrieved from http://smc.hnpu.edu.ua/files/Osv%D1%96tn%D1%96_programi/Osvitni_programu_bakalavr/2020_rik/Angl%D1%96jska_
mova_%D1%96_l%D1%96teratura_v_zakladah_osv%D1%96ti_014.pdf
Fernandes, P., Jardim, J., & Lopes, M. (2021). The Soft Skills of Special Education Teachers: Evidence from the Literature. Education Sciences, 11, 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030125
Haselberger, D., Oberhuemer, P., Perez, E., Cinque, M., & Capasso, F. (2012). Mediating Soft Skills at Higher Education Institutions: Guidelines for the Design of Learning Situations supporting Soft Skills Achievement. California: Modes.
Hassan, A., & Maharoff, M. (2014). The Understanding of Curriculum Philosophy among Trainee Teachers in Regards to Soft Skills Embedment. International Education Studies, 7(12), 84-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ies.v7n12p84
Hassan, A., Maharoff, M., Abiddin, N. Z., & Ro’is, I. (2015). Teacher trainers’ and trainee teachers’ understanding towards the curriculum philosophy regarding soft skills embedment in the Malaysian Institute of Teacher Education. Policy Futures in Education, 14(2), 164-175. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210315597857
Jones, M. S., & Thirunagari, K. Ch. (2019). Soft Skills Integration in Teaching Professional Training for English Language. Journal of Advanced and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, 16(1), 37-45. Retrieved from http://ignited.in/a/58397
Kazachiner, O. S. (2019). “Hard skills” and “soft skills” of inclusively competent foreign language teacher. Innovative Pedagogy, 1(10), 153-156.
Mailool, J., Retnawate, H., Arifin, S., Kesuma, A.T., & Putranta, H. (2020). Lecturers’ experience in teaching soft skills in teacher professional education program (TPEP) in Indonesia. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 78(2), 215-234. https://dx.doi.org/10.33225/pec/20.78.215
Moskovkin, L., & Shamonina, G. (2020). Formation of soft skills in the process of mastering productive innovative technologies. Chuzhdoezikovo obuchenie-foreign language teaching, 47(4), 390-399.
Mundia, L. (2020). Assessment of Skills Development in Brunei Trainee Teachers: Intervention Implications. European Journal of Educational Research, 9(2), 685-698. http://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.9.2.685
Noah J. B., Aziz, A. (2020). A Case Study on the Development of Soft Skills among TESL Graduates in a University. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(10), 4610-4617. http://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081029
Rao, P. S. (2019). The need to develop soft skills among the english language learners in the 21st century. Research Journal of English, 4(2), 286-292.
Sasirekha, K., & Jayalakshmi G. (2016). Effective Material to Teach Communication Skills and Soft Skills to the Engineering Students – A Classroom Try Out. New Perspectives in ELT, 16(4), 101-110.
Skura, M., & Świderska, J. (2021). The role of teachers’ emotional intelligence and social competences with special educational needs students. European Journal of Special Needs Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2021.1885177
Slizkova, E. V., Kungurova, I. M., & Fadich, D. N. (2018). Formation Of The Bachelors’ Soft Skills While Studying Foreign Languages. 4th International Forum on Teacher Education (IFTE 2018), 45, 941-951. http://dx.doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2018.09.110
Tang, K. N., Chan, T., & Vetriveilmany, U. (2015). Critical Issues of Soft Skills Development in Teaching Professional Training: Educators’ Perspectives. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 205(9), 128-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.09.039
Tang, K. N., Hashim, N., & Mohd, Y. H. (2015). Novice Teacher Perceptions of the Soft Skills Needed in Today’s Workplace. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 177, 284-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.338
Tang, K. N., Mohd Y. H., & Hashim, N. (2015). Soft Skills Integration in Teaching Professional Training: Novice Teachers’ Perspectives. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 186, 835-840. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.204
Tevdovska, E.S. (2015). Integrating soft skills in higher education and the EFL classroom: Knowledge beyond language learning. SEEU Review, 11(2), 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1515/seeur-2015-0031
Thangam, A., Rengarajan, M., & Geetha, K. (2020). Role of Soft Skills and Personality Development in Teacher Education. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 24(5), 3937-3939. https://dx.doi.org/10.37200/IJPR/V24I5/PR2020102
Wats, M., & Wats, R. K. (2009). Developing Soft Skills in Students. International Journal of Learning, 15(12), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.18848/1447-9494/CGP/v15i12/46032