Author Information
Forrest R. Parker III, Valdosta State University, United StatesJ. T. Cox, Valdosta State University, United States
Abstract
In an era where professional success increasingly depends on interpersonal and adaptive competencies, soft skills are emerging as essential components of effective teacher preparation. This mixed-methods study explores the impact of a targeted undergraduate communication course (EDUC 2000) on the development of soft skills in pre-service teachers at a regional university. Utilizing pre-existing self-efficacy survey data from 59 students, a validated soft skills inventory with 38 recent course completers, observational teaching data from practicum placements, and student reflection narratives, the study reveals statistically significant gains in key areas including instructional communication, classroom engagement, and professional demeanor. Students who completed the course outperformed their peers in rubric-based teaching observations and reported increased confidence in public speaking and instructional clarity. Thematic analysis of reflective narratives further corroborated the positive impact of the course. These findings support a call for embedding structured communication and soft skill instruction into educator preparation programs to foster holistic, career-ready teaching professionals in a post-pandemic educational landscape.
Paper Information
Conference: KAMC2025Stream: Education / Pedagogy
This paper is part of the KAMC2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
III F., & Cox J. (2026) Fading Fluency: Examining the Decline of Soft Skills in American Education Students Through Quantitative Analysis ISSN: 2436-0503 – The Kyoto Conference on Arts, Media & Culture 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 729-734) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2025.59
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2025.59
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