The impact of literature on the development of soft skills

Abstract

The development of soft skills is a growing necessity in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape. Schools play an important role in nurturing these abilities as key competencies such as group work, critical thinking, creativity, self-confidence, decision-making and goal-setting are often first introduced and fostered in educational settings. This study examines the potential of literature for promoting and developing soft skills among students. Utilizing a mixed method approach, it employed both qualitative and quantitative methods including surveys and interviews with 72 teachers of literature at Pre-university Education, Albania. The primary objective was to assess the possibilities that literature offers for fostering soft skills and to identify the most effective secondary methods for achieving this goal. The findings demonstrate that literature provides a wealth of opportunities for students to develop key competencies and soft skills beyond subject-specific expertise. They underscore the importance of employing innovative teaching approaches and strategies to maximize the subject's impact on students' overall development and readiness for the challenges of the future. The practical implication of this research highlights the fact that it introduces teachers to ways and opportunities for developing soft skills in literature, making it possible to facilitate the achievement of one of the main goals of the curriculum: the development of key competencies and the significant potential of literature as a subject for promoting soft skills in an increasingly digital world. The use of different techniques such as working in groups, working with projects, drafting questions are considered more efficient for the development of soft skills through literature.