Strengthening the Teaching of Soft Skills in the Pedagogical Architecture of Moroccan Universities

Abstract

The objective of this article is to initially build indicators that can measure the soft skills of students from Moroccan universities and to study the degree of homogeneity of these soft skills between students from different fields, then to study the correlation links that may exist between these soft skills. Our study has shown that communication is correlated with other soft skills, namely risk aversion, perseverance, self-esteem and sociability. Hence the interest of intervening in the training of students and the provision of the educational resources necessary to strengthen their soft skills such as the deployment of training workshops, as part of the activities of career centers and skills certification via partnerships with the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, which aims to develop the exchange of experiences and data and to mutually benefit, as well as with other cultural, scientific and foreign partners in order to support the reform of the Bachelor's cycle and the revision of the pedagogical architecture that results from it. The objective is to facilitate professional integration and promote the employability of young graduates of Moroccan universities. The construction of soft skills curricula, the training of trainers for teaching and the development of soft skills modules, the development of the educational tools necessary for the teaching of soft skills, training in the creation of online courses on soft skills are among the priority areas.

The Importance of Soft Skills for Academic Performance and Career Development—From the Perspective of University Students

“…This aligns with the findings of [4], highlighting that soft skills can be developed through dedicated efforts, even though skills associated with social and emotional capabilities may require longer-term cultivation. Similarly, more than 50% of the respondents agreed (381, or 39.36%) and strongly agreed (109, or 11.26%) with the statement "Soft skills are harder to acquire than professional knowledge" [5]. This illustrates that students acknowledge the value and importance of soft skills for their overall success.…”

“…Unlike technical or hard skills, which are associated with professional knowledge, soft skills encompass interpersonal and emotional abilities that are challenging to evaluate [3] [4]. Moreover, while hard skills can be improved more easily through training and education, soft skills are more difficult to develop [5].…”

Soft skills for employment in Morocco: A value over or equal to the technical know-how?

“…In the Moroccan context, a growing interest in soft skills is evident within the academic community (Riahi, 2022). Soft skills discussions gained momentum with academic reforms in 2003(Chaibat et al, 2020.…”

Complex thinking and profile of Colombian university teachers

“…In recent decades, the operational paradigm of universities worldwide, including those in Colombia, has significantly evolved. Historically focused on the dissemination of knowledge, universities are now recognized as crucibles for developing a broad spectrum of competencies, a transformation driven not only by the dynamic demands and complexities of the global labor market but also by a strategic commitment to equipping students with a versatile skill set essential for their lifelong personal and professional development (Riahi, 2022). This shift toward a more holistic educational model is evident in contemporary university curricula, which aim to cultivate not just specialized technical skills but also general competencies that cross disciplinary lines, such as communication abilities, social intelligence, and ethical and civic responsibility (Orhan, 2022).…”