Developing 21st-Century Soft Skills in Teachers: A Qualitative Synthesis Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals

Authors : Hakan İnce, Murat Hevedanlı, Rusen Meylani

Pages : 103-152

View : 61 | Download : 102

Publication Date : 2025-04-30

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :In the 21st century, teachers need soft skills like communication, collaboration, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and leadership to enhance student engagement and learning. These competencies align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), underscoring their relevance in teacher education. This study explores essential soft skills, their integration into teacher training, and effective development strategies through a qualitative synthesis of academic literature. Findings identify six key soft skills: (1) Communication, (2) Collaboration, (3) Critical Thinking, (4) Adaptability, (5) Emotional Intelligence, and (6) Leadership. Strategies such as experiential learning, mentorship, professional development, and culturally responsive training effectively foster these skills. However, institutional barriers, resistance to change, and inadequate assessment tools hinder their implementation. To address these challenges, the study advocates embedding soft skills into teacher education curricula, leveraging technology-driven learning, and developing comprehensive assessment tools. Aligning soft skills development with SDGs enhances teacher effectiveness, student outcomes, and educational sustainability. This study makes unique contributions to the research literature in that it proposes a structured framework to integrate soft skills into teacher training, bridges gaps in methodology, and advocates for systematic evaluation tools and policy reforms to prepare teachers for inclusive, future-ready education.
Keywords : Soft Beceriler, 21. Yüzyıl Öğretmenliği, Öğretmen Eğitimi, Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları (SKA, Hizmet Öncesi Öğretmenler, Hizmet İçi Öğretmenler

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