ABSTRACT
This chapter features student engagement with soft-skills development activities. Through 18 interviews and 461 responses to a survey, the study reported in this chapter revealed that students hold a strong belief in the importance of developing soft skills for their future work and life. However, students appeared to participate in non-curriculum-based activities more than curriculum-based ones. They cognitively engaged with soft-skills development activities much higher than emotionally and behaviorally. Several factors were identified to affect their engagement, including their beliefs, controlling factors, and third-party endorsements. This chapter argues that soft-skills development activities should be well aligned with students’ needs and interests to maximize their effectiveness and efficiency.
