Assessment of university teachers’ professional readiness to develop students’ soft skills

Introduction. The transformation of the labour market and the shift towards a knowledge economy are increasing the demand for soft skills – supra-professional social, communicative, and regulatory competencies that facilitate collaboration, adaptability, and self-organisation. However, data on the readiness of Russian university teachers to deliberately develop these skills in students remain insufficient. Aim. The present study aims to empirically elucidate and systematically analyse the integrative readiness of academic staff to foster students’ soft skills as a multidimensional construct, and to identify its relationship with teaching experience and the practices involved in integrating such skills into instruction. Methodology and research methods. A cross-sectional online survey incorporating situational tasks was conducted among teachers from four Russian universities (n = 347). Readiness was operationalised through four components: motivational-value, cognitive-methodological, operational-activity, and reflective. A composite index (0–100) was calculated based on indicators of task integration, frequency of explicit communication, dominant approach, and confidence in the role of mentor. The data were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Results. Teachers generally incorporate the development of soft skills into their disciplines (mean score 4.10 on a 1–5 scale); the average readiness index is 64.7 out of 100. Explicitly informing students about the targeted skills is inconsistent, with only 13.6% reporting that they do so “always” and 24.3% “rarely”. The most challenging skills to develop are adaptability to uncertainty (mean 3.32 out of 5) and stress resilience (mean 3.08). The transfer of these skills to real professional and life situations is identified as a problematic stage by 42.8% of respondents. The most sought-after forms of support are online courses (51.4%), methodological materials (49.0%), and communities of practice (43.2%). Scientific novelty. The study examines an integrated model of academic staff readiness alongside a corresponding composite index. Practical significance. The findings offer empirically grounded guidelines for professional development programmes, methodological support, and institutional strategies designed to improve the management of uncertainty and stress, as well as the transfer of soft skills into students’ real-life contexts.

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