The Soft Skills Sought and Developed by Future Teachers in Morocco During Their Training in the Regional Centers for Education and Training Professions (CRMEF)

Abstract

This article anchors its reflection in the context of the learning crisis currently affecting Morocco, which could be attributed to an ineffective teacher training system. It builds on the notion of professional competence to highlight the importance of developing certain soft skills in future teachers. The study aims to identify the soft skills sought in future teachers upon their entry into the Regional Centers for Education and Training Professions (CRMEF) and to examine the extent to which these soft skills are developed by the end of their training.

To achieve the first objective, 35 CRMEF trainers were surveyed. To achieve the second, 63 trainee teachers assessed the role of their academic training in the development of their soft skills, and 23 trainee teachers participated in situational exercises to allow for an observation of the development of these same skills.

The results show that team spirit and collaboration are the most sought-after soft skills and that, in general, trainers observe that most future teachers do not possess the expected soft skills upon entering the CRMEF. Furthermore, although the majority of trainee teachers believe that their academic training has helped them develop their soft skills, the analysis of their responses to situational exercises raises doubts about the actual development of certain skills.

While these findings cannot be generalized, they call into question the effectiveness of current training programs and suggest the need for pedagogical methods that encourage trainee teachers to develop soft skills in real or simulated professional practice settings.