The teacher’s role in the development of soft skills in distance and blended learning

The background for this research includes both theoretical results concerning the development of soft skills in the process of learning and some practical approaches for the development of soft skills in distance learning environments which have become common during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this research is to determine the teacher’s role in the development of soft skills and to identify any particular characteristics of this role in distance and blended learning contexts. This research relied on both general scientific and special methods. General scientific methods, in particular, included analysis, synthesis, inductive and deductive reasoning, comparison, analogy, etc., while special research methods included content analysis, case studies, secondary statistical analysis, historical method, etc. The outcome of the research is the finding that education now should involve the development and building of soft skills in students as a prerequisite for personal and professional growth. As teachers play a critical role in the development of such skills they should promote the creation and operation of a specific environment conducive to the development of communication skills, critical thinking and creative problem-solving abilities, as well as students’ individual and group work. The findings of this research are new for Russian science and also draw the attention of the research community to the particular features of distance learning amid the global COVID-19 pandemic