Direct Instruction and Assessment of Personal and Professional Skills across Disciplines: Faculty Perspectives

Employers value soft skills and often report a "skills gap," resulting in calls on higher education to teach these skills more widely. However, few studies have examined faculty perspectives on soft skills. The researchers conducted a nationwide survey of faculty in the fields of business, education, engineering, library science, nursing, and social work to explore whether and how they are teaching soft skills. Most faculty believe soft skills are important and are integrating them into their courses, although there are variations by discipline. Methods for teaching soft skills are varied, but "passive" approaches like readings and lectures are most prominent. The results have implications for curriculum development and will be of interest to faculty across these disciplines as well as employers in the associated industries.