Volume 4, 2026 – Issue 3
Integrating Soft Skills in High School EFL Through Constructivist Pedagogy
Mehdi Hanni 
1
Afro-Mediterranean Research Laboratory for Discourse, Communication and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Sais, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco
* Corresponding author: prof.m.hani@gmail.com
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23785493
Abstract
Background: Soft skills are increasingly expected outcomes of secondary education, yet their integration into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching remains difficult in examination-oriented settings. Methods: This qualitative exploratory study examined face-to-face interview notes from eight high school EFL teachers working across the six districts of Fes, Morocco. Teachers reflected on a constructivist communicative group task involving preference sharing, group negotiation, a budget constraint, and presentation. The data were analysed thematically. Results: Teachers reported student-centred interaction, high engagement, and observable practice of communication, collaboration, active listening, negotiation, compromise, decision-making, critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and adaptability. Sentence frames, task progression, authentic purpose, and the budget constraint were perceived as central supports. Large classes, uneven participation, time pressure, limited resources, low confidence, and assessment difficulties were persistent barriers. Conclusions: Constructivist EFL tasks can integrate language learning with soft-skills practice when teachers provide explicit language scaffolds, equitable group structures, reflection, and process-oriented assessment. The study offers practical guidance for high school EFL teachers in Fes and comparable contexts.
Keywords: constructivism, EFL, high school, soft skills, transversal competencies, collaborative learning, Morocco, qualitative research
Published
2026/10/31
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Section
Research Papers
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Hanni, M. (2026). Integrating soft skills in high school EFL through constructivist pedagogy. The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education, 4(3), 405–420. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23785493
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Hanni, Mehdi. 2026. “Integrating Soft Skills in High School EFL through Constructivist Pedagogy.” The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education 4 (3): 405–20. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23785493.
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Hanni, Mehdi. “Integrating Soft Skills in High School EFL through Constructivist Pedagogy.” The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education, vol. 4, no. 3, Oct. 2026, pp. 405–20, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23785493.
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[1]
M. Hanni, “Integrating soft skills in high school EFL through constructivist pedagogy,” The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 405–420, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.23785493.
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Hanni, M. (2026) “Integrating soft skills in high school EFL through constructivist pedagogy,” The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education, 4(3), pp. 405–420. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23785493.
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Hanni M. Integrating soft skills in high school EFL through constructivist pedagogy. The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education [Internet]. 2026 Oct 31;4(3):405–20. Available from: https://ijtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/N40379.pdf
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Hanni, M. (2026). Integrating soft skills in high school EFL through constructivist pedagogy. The International Journal of Technology, Innovation, and Education, 4(3), 405–420. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23785493
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About the authors
- Mehdi Hanni is a high school English teacher at the Ministry of National Education and a PhD candidate in education. His research focuses on integrating transversal competencies, including critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration, into educational practice. His interests in language learning, philosophy, and behavioural sciences inform his teaching and his commitment to supporting learners’ cognitive, social, and emotional development.
prof.m.hani@gmail.com ↩︎
