The Degree To Which Primary School Teachers In Amman Governorate Possess Soft Skills In Light Of Coronavirus Pandemic From Their Principals' Perspectives

Abstract

The problem and the aim of the study: The rapid growth in technologies and the threat of COVID-19 pandemic have brought remarkable changes in the twenty-first century. Corona pandemic has caused a series of transformations in the different spheres of social, political, labor,  economic and educational life. Different governments have launched emergency policy initiatives based on the suspension of classes and the closure of educational centers to continue teaching activities from homes through the use of information and communication, which led to the emergence of new skills that the teacher should possess in order to keep pace with modern developments and to continue with the student learning process. The primary school teacher is required to develop his soft skills with quality and efficiency, to be in line with the great technological renaissance the world is witnessing in the field of teaching, knowledge and culture, and to realize that one of his new tasks is to be a guide, facilitator and assistant for students to learn by themselves. Accordingly, the study aimed at finding out the degree to which primary school teachers in Amman Governorate, possess soft skills in light of Coronavirus pandemic from the viewpoint of their principals.

Research methods: The researcher reviewed the related literature to narrow the topic and aggregate the theoretical and empirical research related to the topic. The descriptive survey method was used in the study in addition to a 41- item questionnaire distinctly developed for gathering data. Reliability and validity of these items were checked by applying it to a pilot group of 30 principals selected randomly. (837) male and female principals from Amman governorate were selected as a study population. The sample of the study was (228) principals who were randomly selected, and constitutes (27%) of the study population.The results of the study were obtained through appropriate statistical analyses, then  analyzed and discussed according to the questions of the study.

Results: The results showed that the degree to which primary school teachers' possess soft skills was high. The results also indicated that there is a statistically significant difference according to gender variable in favor of females, while there are no statistically significant differences attributed to experience variable and the interaction between gender and experience.

Conclusion: the study pointed out that the importance of soft-skills for teachers has got more importance under COVID-19 pandemic crisis, as utilizing soft skills in teaching will improve the quality of educational results. There is a need to create awareness among the teachers about the importance of soft skills for career advancement and how to develop and practice such skills. schools should carefully review and incorporate the desired soft skills into their curricula. However, they should also continue running specialized training workshops to help teachers further improve their soft skills. It is equally important that teachers should also make efforts for improving their skills level through self-directed readings and participation in appropriate skills development programs and activities.