Does soft skill development vary among the students? A gender perspective

Abstract

The study was intended to examine the extent to which soft skill development varied among the university students by gender via their participation in co-curricular activities (CCAs). Moreover, the study aimed to find out whether there was a significant difference between male and female students concerning soft skill development. The study has shown that males have developed diverse personal skills and social skills, that is, soft skills more than females excepting one which is presentation skill. The study has pointed out that soft skill development significantly varies among the students by gender excepting presentation skill development. The study has proposed that the significant difference between male and female students regarding soft skill development may be attributed to their difference in participating in various CCAs. Since the males are more likely to participate in CCAs, they are more likely to develop diverse soft skills than the females. The study has indicated that Muslim female students face several personal and social barriers including lack of confidence, conservative family values, and people’s negative attitudes to participate in CCAs, which requires proper policy to address.