The Hidden Curriculum: How Instructors Are Teaching the Skills Students Really Need

[MarisaBluestone]

There’s a curriculum most students don’t see on the syllabus. It’s not in the textbook, but it shows up in every group project, every deadline, every class discussion. That’s where they learn how to communicate, collaborate, and stay organized—skills that will shape their future just as much as the subject matter.

These so-called “soft skills” are anything but soft. They’re essential for thriving in college, in the workplace and in life. And increasingly, employers say they matter more than technical knowledge. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the top three attributes employers seek on a resume are communication skills, problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a team. And many instructors are already teaching those skills, even if it’s not in the official learning objectives. 

The Hidden Curriculum:

Small choices make a big difference. Embedding checkpoints into a project builds time management muscle. Asking students to respond to a classmate before offering their own encourages active listening. Building in moments of reflection helps them understand how they learn, and advocate for what they need next.

The curriculum usually doesn’t have a column of “soft skills”, but that doesn’t mean they’re not being taught. These skills are embedded in how assignments are structured, how students collaborate, and how instructors create space for personal reflection and growth.

In The What and Who of EDU, Macmillan Learning’s podcast about teaching, learning, and the humans behind both, we’ve heard instructors share how these skills show up in action:

Dr. Margaret Holloway addresses students' fear of failure straight on—an often overlooked barrier to participation and self-advocacy. She shares her own undergraduate essays with students to normalize growth and imperfection. This fosters psychological safety and builds confidence, both of which are foundational to risk-taking and effective communication (10 Ways to Build Student Confidence).  

Jennifer Ripley Stueckle teaches in large lecture settings but doesn’t let size limit connection. She incorporates service-learning projects to help students build relationships with peers and engage with the community. These experiences promote collaboration, initiative, and a sense of shared responsibility. (10 Strategies to Build Belonging in Your Classroom)

Amanda Peach, a librarian at Berea College, teaches students how to approach information critically, collaborate across perspectives, and navigate ambiguity. These are essential skills for both teamwork and problem-solving. (How Hutchins Library Builds Community and Critical Thinkers). 

Each of these approaches reflects intentional teaching of the hidden curriculum. And none of them require a standalone workshop or extra unit because they’re woven into the everyday fabric of learning.

How It Comes Together

The challenge, of course, is time. Instructors are already balancing content coverage, assessments, and student support. But teaching soft skills doesn’t have to mean adding new units. It can be a subtle shift, one opportunity at a time.

At Macmillan Learning, we’ve seen this approach in action. Instructors using Achieve build in self-reflection assignments to help students track their own progress. Tools like iClicker encourage peer-to-peer interaction in large lectures, promoting engagement and quick collaboration. Our research on metacognition and sense of belonging showed that when students gain confidence managing their own learning, they perform better and stick with it, even when it gets challenging. In fact, students in our study saw up to a 10-point improvement in course performance.

If the goal of education is to prepare students for what comes next, then soft skills aren’t extra. They’re the foundation. That means students don’t need another seminar on time management. They need instructors who bake those skills into the way learning happens every day. And increasingly, the job market is rewarding exactly that kind of preparation. Nearly two-thirds of employers now say they use skills-based hiring to evaluate entry-level candidates, often placing more value on what students can do than what’s on their transcript.

That means the skills built through classroom collaboration, time management, and reflection don’t just prepare students to succeed in college. They’re becoming the ticket to what comes next.