Promotion of Soft skills in the K-12 Education Curricula: The Case of Virginia State - USA, Portugal and Albania

Rapid demographic, technological, and labor market developments characterize the 21st century. To succeed in this context, students require skills that help them keep up with the fast changes of the times beyond the knowledge of traditional subjects developed in schools. This study seeks to reinforce the relevance of promoting soft skills in K -12 Education Curricula in three different countries, namely in the states of Virginia - USA, Portugal, and Albania. This study is based on the desk research of the curricula of these three countries to describe the strategies and measures taken for the promotion of soft skills in the education system to extract valuable data for the reforming of the education system and, more specifically, for the improvement of the K-12 curriculum in Albania, considering the challenges of the implementation process regarding the key competencies, which represent a system of knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for development, empowerment, and employment of each individual. Received: 24 September 2024 / Accepted: 20 November 2024 / Published: 3 December 2024