Abstract

 In contemporary education, soft skills are essential competencies that complement professional expertise. The study surveyed 335 Early Childhood Education students at the National College of Education Ho Chi Minh City and examined the role of academic extracurricular activities in developing soft skills. The results show that students have high awareness but moderate proficiency; there is strong demand for training in core skills; and there is relative satisfaction with the organization of extracurricular activities, though content and format need improvement. The survey also indicates a clear preference for in-person, practice-oriented formats (workshops and specialized classes), together with requirements for two-way feedback and transparent debriefing and evaluation. The paper proposes recommendations for the college, instructors, and students to develop academic extracurricular activities as a solution to enhance soft skills.

Keywords: , academic extracurricular activities, preservice teachers, preschool education, soft skills, the National College of Education in Ho Chi Minh City.