Teaching Soft Skills Competencies in US Social Work Programs

ABSTRACT Social workers need to possess professional skills and personal qualities, often referred to as “soft skills,” along with disciplinary knowledge, to be successful and to deliver high-quality client services. This study reports on the importance US social work faculty place on soft skills, the extent to which these faculty incorporate soft skills training into their courses, the methods they use to teach soft skills, and whether they provide feedback on student learning. Data were collected through an online survey distributed in spring 2020 to baccalaureate and master’s faculty at US schools of social work. Results indicate social work educators view soft skills education as important and feel largely responsible for teaching these skills and providing feedback. The teaching methods most readily employed are passive in nature and there is limited emphasis toward teaching many of the soft skills competencies specifically noted in the 2015 accreditation standards promulgated by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).