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

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.