Impact Of Teacher Soft Skills On Academic Performance In Higher Education

Abstract

Teachers’ soft skills are becoming increasingly important in higher education, as they strongly influence students’ academic performance in a competitive academic setting. The present study entitled “Impact of teachers’ soft skills on students’ on academic performance in higher education” was conducted with three objectives: to identify the level of teacher soft skills as perceived by students in higher education; to analyze the current level of students’ academic performance; and to determine the impact of teachers’ soft skills on students’ academic performance in higher education. A quantitative research approach was used to conduct this study. The population comprised students and teachers of public universities in Punjab. Through multistage random sampling, 14 universities, 100 teachers and 400 students were included in the sample. Two self-developed questionnaires were used for data collection to evaluate teachers’ soft skills through students’ responses, while academic performance data were obtained from official departmental records. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean scores, and correlation analysis. Results indicated that teachers’ soft skills were at a moderate level, with leadership and emotional intelligence rated higher than communication skills. Students’ academic performance was found to be at an average level, with low academic awards and attendance barriers mainly due to work commitments. Furthermore the analysis concluded that teachers’ soft skills had a statistically significant positive impact on students’ academic performance, with emotional intelligence emerging as the strongest predictor among the soft skills dimensions. The study recommends that universities should organize professional development programs focusing on communication skills, leadership, and emotional intelligence to enhance teachers’ effectiveness. It is also suggested that future research should be conducted on a larger scale using longitudinal and mixed-method approaches for deeper understanding of these relationships.