Soft Skills Formation in Students Pursuing an Undergraduate Degree in the Field of Nature Conservancy by Means of Online Educational Environmental Projects
The study aims to substantiate the need for soft skills formation in students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the field of nature conservancy according to the requirements actualised by federal state educational standards and the requirements set for graduates by the labour market. The paper presents the sought-after soft skills in the field of environmental safety. The reasons for teachers' lack of readiness to form soft skills in the educational process at university are revealed. It has been found that online educational environmental projects have a significant potential in soft skills formation in students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the field of nature conservancy. Scientific novelty of the study lies in clarifying the content of soft skills, which are considered as a set of universal skills and personal qualities (internal potential) necessary for graduates in the field of nature conservancy for the effective implementation of their labour functions. A comparative study of various classification features of soft skills, as well as a content analysis of job vacancies and a survey of experts in the field of environmental protection made it possible to specify the basic list of soft skills, which include interpersonal communication skills, teamwork skills, self-organisation skills and management skills. As a result, it has been proved that the use of online educational environmental projects in the educational process at university contributes to the formation of a set of skills and qualities in undergraduate students (teamwork, technical literacy, business communication skills, cooperation in solving tasks, responsibility, sociability, self-discipline and self-organisation), which are regarded by employers as a predictor of professional success of graduates in the field of nature conservancy.