Gaining insights into elementary school students' experiences of soft skills at school

Soft skills are seen as fundamental skills that enable individuals to adapt to their social environment, develop healthy relationships, and facilitate their lives. Soft skills strengthen areas such as communication, problem solving, and emotion management, providing students with holistic development in school life. The study aimed to understand how elementary school students conceptualize and experience soft skills in their school lives. In the study, a descriptive phenomenological design was adopted to deeply understand the students' experiences. Through semi-structured interviews, data were obtained from 24 elementary school students studying in Çanakkale, Türkiye. As a result of the thematic data analysis, themes emerged: social relationships at school, emotional skills, responsibility and self-efficacy, and family interactions. The results indicate that students demonstrate certain strengths in interpersonal relationships, emotional regulation, and cognitive skills; however, in academically achievement centered systems such as Türkiye, they experience various challenges related to soft skills. The study reconceptualized soft skills as a tool of the school-based system, shaped by environmental, relational, affective, and cognitive processes during the elementary school years. Through the four themes it reveals that school-based social interaction, emotional control, cognitive functioning, and family bonds converge within a dynamic intersection. Accordingly, we concluded that soft skills need to be strengthened at the elementary school level through school-based programs, teacher support, and family collaboration.