The Relation Between Soft Skills and Arithmetic Performance

Abstract

Arithmetic achievement holds particular significance in contemporary times; however, students continue to encounter difficulties in this domain. Researchers and organizations are actively seeking factors that can support students in navigating mathematical content. To address this gap, we propose an examination of the role played by six soft skills (adaptability, curiosity, initiative, leadership, perseverance, and social awareness), alongside self-regulated learning strategies, academic motivation, achievement emotions, and fluid reasoning abilities, in students’ performance on standardized arithmetic tasks. Data were gathered from 551 Italian students aged 11–18 through classroom-based paper-and-pencil tasks and questionnaires. Path analysis results reveal that only fluid reasoning abilities, academic motivation, and negative achievement emotions significantly correlate with arithmetic performance. Soft skills demonstrate an indirect relationship with arithmetic performance, mediated by negative achievement emotions and academic motivation (while not mediated by positive achievement emotions and self-regulated learning strategies). These findings underscore the increasingly recognized significance of soft skills and expand their relevance to arithmetic achievement, potentially suggesting novel psychoeducational interventions to bolster students’ performance in this realm.