The role of emotional intelligence as a soft skill in the conducting and choral training of a modern music teacher

Abstract

The article is dedicated to highlighting the role of emotional intelligence as a component of soft skills. In particular, the article characterizes and analyzes the development state of this issue in the psychological-pedagogical, scientific, and practical activities of higher education institutions. The experience of domestic and international scholars in the fields of psychology and pedagogy regarding the history of the emergence and development of soft skills, specifically emotional intelligence, is presented and summarized. The psychological essence of the phenomenon of «emotional intelligence» is explored. The article reveals the specifics of the modern music teacher’s activities in the current military-political conditions and the European integration processes. It characterizes the forms and methods of work during conducting and choral training (both group and individual classes) that contribute to the development of emotional intelligence as a soft skill for higher education students. The concept of emotional intelligence, its essence, and the use of pedagogical techniques to develop it are examined, with an emphasis on its importance in the process of training a modern music teacher. It is noted that students who continuously work on developing their emotional intelligence possess emotional resilience, self-confidence, emotional self-awareness, the ability to manage emotions, optimism, and initiative, which contribute to professional growth and become essential tools for the success of modern teachers. It is highlighted that the process of integrating the development of emotional intelligence and other soft skills in higher education institutions is quite complex and takes place primarily through the study of specific disciplines, mostly individual ones, which complicates the resolution of the outlined issue. The conclusions emphasize that emotional intelligence (as a soft skill) should be regarded as one of the key aspects of professionalism for music teachers in modern educational institutions.