Presenting a Model for Developing Soft Skills in Schools with Emphasis on Effective Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Student Self-Leadership
Keywords:
Soft skills, effective communication, collaboration, creativity, self-leadership, students, schools, qualitative researchAbstract
This study aimed to present a qualitative model for developing students’ soft skills in schools, with emphasis on effective communication, collaboration, creativity, and self-leadership. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The participants consisted of 24 secondary school students from Tehran, selected through purposive sampling with attention to diversity in gender, school grade, school type, and experience in group-based learning activities. Data were collected exclusively through semi-structured interviews, and the interview process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Each interview lasted between 35 and 60 minutes, was audio-recorded with informed consent, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using NVivo software through initial coding, code organization, development of subthemes, and abstraction of main categories. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking, peer debriefing, analytic memo writing, and an audit trail were employed. Data analysis led to the identification of five main categories: “effective communication as school-based interaction literacy,” “collaboration and group responsibility,” “problem-oriented creativity in learning,” “self-leadership and academic agency,” and “school and family contexts supporting soft skills.” The findings indicated that soft skills are developed more sustainably when they are not treated as peripheral activities, but are embedded in the curriculum, teacher–student interaction, classroom assessment, collaborative projects, and school culture. The proposed model suggests that schools can promote students’ soft skills by designing authentic opportunities for interaction, teamwork, problem-solving, ideation, reflection, and self-monitoring. According to the findings, the facilitating role of teachers, process-oriented assessment, psychological safety in classrooms, family participation, and continuous opportunities for practice are key elements in the successful implementation of this model.
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