Exploring the structural relationships between soft skills, emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and self-directed learning in the digital age: A cross-sectional PLS-SEM study of female students of king Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Digital transformation has fundamentally reshaped higher education, creating dynamic and technology-mediated learning environments that demand more than technical proficiency. Students must develop strong psychological, cognitive, and behavioural competencies to navigate these changes effectively. This study examines the structural relationships between Emotional Intelligence (EI), Cognitive Flexibility (CF), Soft Skills (SS), and Self-Directed Learning (SDL), while also assessing the direct influence of Digital Transformation (DT) on students' learning behaviours in King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. A quantitative cross-sectional design was adopted, with data collected from 525 female university students using a structured self-report questionnaire. Participant recruitment commenced on 13/05/2025 and ended on 19/08/2025. The proposed conceptual model was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), allowing for the examination of complex predictive relationships among the constructs.:Emotional Intelligence was significantly associated with both cognitive flexibility and soft skills.. Cognitive flexibility showed a significant positive association with soft skills and directly contributing to self-directed learning. Soft skills further demonstrate a substantial positive effect on SDL, highlighting their role as applied behavioural competencies. Additionally, Digital transformation was significantly associated with self-directed learning, reflecting the growing importance of digital environments in shaping autonomous learning behaviours. The model explains a substantial proportion of variance in Self-Directed Learning (R² = 0.58), indicating strong predictive power. The study supports a hierarchical competence framework in which emotional intelligence fosters cognitive adaptability, which in turn enhances behavioural skills that drive self-directed learning. Digital transformation acts as a critical contextual catalyst in this process. These findings emphasise the need for higher education institutions to adopt holistic strategies that integrate the development of emotional, cognitive, and behavioural skills to promote effective learning in digitally transformed environments.