The embedment of soft skills into education programs in higher education is closely related to the curriculum philosophy brought by the respective institutions. The soft skills are embedded through understanding belief systems and practices among the teacher trainers. Furthermore it provides an insight into the curriculum philosophy on how to implement soft skills embedment. Therefore, this study aimed to understand teacher trainers' understanding and teaching practice in embedding soft skills while teaching core courses for the Bachelor of Teaching Program (PISMP) at the Malaysia Institute of Teacher Education (IPG). This understanding is necessary in order to resolve the misunderstanding that embedding soft skills are burdensome for the teacher trainers and that it is only documented without being practiced. The case study methodology was used through a qualitative approach. Five teacher trainers with different backgrounds and teaching experience participated as respondents. The findings resulted in improved understanding on teacher trainers' understanding about soft skills embedment and how the actual process of embedding soft skills occurred. The results of this study allow those involved in the development of student-teachers' soft skills to generate ideas to develop models for soft skills embedment that are in line with the interpretation of PISMP soft skills.

Curriculum philosophy may assist in learning practices that coincide with the philosophy of educational institution and community. This study was aimed to understand how the teacher trainees who pursued Bachelor of Teaching (PISMP) understand the embedment of soft skills into learning activities for core courses in Malaysian Institutes of Teacher Education (IPGMs). This is necessary because embedding soft skills is sometimes considered to be out of interest among the teacher trainees that may lead to neglect the aspects of soft skills development among them. The study was conducted using a case study methodology through the qualitative approach. The respondents comprised of nine teacher trainees from the final year of study. The results yielded the teacher trainees' beliefs and identified the ways soft skills were embedded among them as they pursued their course. The results of this study allowed those involved in the development of teacher trainees' soft skills to generate ideas to develop a model to embed soft skills, in line with the interpretation of soft skills, for the teacher trainees in the IPGM.

This is a preliminary research to obtain information to formulate a problem statement for an overall study of the embedding of soft skills in the program courses in higher learning institutions. This research was conducted in the form of single case and multi-case studies. The research data was attained through mixed methods; the quantitative method by utilizing questionnaires and the qualitative method utilizing open-ended questionnaires. Qualitative data were used as supporting data in this research. This research sought to study two main issues; the readiness of lecturers and problems encountered in embedding soft skills into teachers' bachelor's degree courses in the institutes of teacher education in Malaysia. Quantitative data was processed manually to show frequency, while qualitative data was processed according to themes. Research findings indicated that a majority of lecturers are interested and ready to embed soft skills in the core courses. However, lecturers lamented about problems encountered in embedding soft skills in teaching and learning of courses even though the curriculum of the programs have been designed holistically to fulfill the needs to develop soft skills within trainee teachers.

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