Soft Skills of teachers: towards a new field of research and training in the Italian High school

Abstract

The recognition of the role of transversal skills in the school makes it necessary to deepen this field of research in order to respond to the need for training of these skills for the teaching profession. After a review of national and international studies, both theoretical and empirical, the “multi-dimensional” character of transversal social competences is highlighted, trying to identify the main factors common to the various classifications proposed in the literature. The evidence presented helps to define the significance of the sociorelational and communicative transversal skills of the teacher as the ability to relate to the other by listening to his needs in an empathic and collaborative way. The main outcomes of an empirical survey are also presented, aimed at exploring some socio-relational competences recognized in international literature as relevant for the teaching profession (Sociability, Ability to establish contacts, Sensitivity, Team orientation, Assertiveness); detected through the administration to 80 teachers of high schools of different disciplines, of the “Social Competence” scale of BIP Questionnaire (Business-focused Inventory of Personality, by Hossiep, Paschen (2003), adapted to the Italian population by Fossati and Ciancaleoni (2013). In summary, it is noted that the professors examined need to further develop their transversal socio-relational and communicative skills: this is possible thanks to specific training programs.