Abstract
In the context of the modern educational process, the soft skills’ development is becoming an integral part of preparing students for professional activities. The purpose of this article is to create and test a diagnostic tool for assessing and further developing soft skills of university students. The authors focused on the most popular soft skills identified at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2023: critical thinking, the ability to solve complex problems, creativity, teamwork skills and emotional intelligence. The main attention is paid to the use of a set of diagnostic methods, such as the E. Torrance Creativity Test, the L. Starkey Critical Thinking Test, the Case Method for Assessing Complex Problem Solving Skills, the Group Project Method and the N. Hall Method for Assessing the Level of Emotional Intelligence. The soft skills’ diagnostics among students made it possible to identify strengths and weaknesses, which will serve as the basis for further development of programs to improve and develop these skills. Based on the analysis of the obtained results, the authors proposed recommendations for the comprehensive development of students' soft skills: conducting regular diagnostics, integrating soft skills into the educational process, using innovative practical teaching methods, and creating a favorable educational environment. The diagnostic tools proposed in this article will serve as a foundation for continuing research in the field of assessment and development of soft skills in the educational environment. Keywords: soft skills, university students, diagnostic tools, methodology, critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, emotional intelligence