The Kids Today: Alphabet Generations in Transition

Abstract

There has been a tendency to describe each generation in terms of how it differs from the previous generation that spawns it. Comparisons often portray more recent generations as somehow lacking the morality, diligence and intellectual capability of older generations. Much has been written about Generations X, Y and Z, their characteristics and educational implications of these. This chapter discusses popular descriptions of these generations and subjects these descriptions to scrutiny. Beginning teachers’ experiences with young people in their classes offer a source of evidence to consider whether students’ behaviour is well explained in terms of ‘Gen X, Y or Z’ generalisations. These experiences provoke discussion as to whether a school system designed by (and perhaps for) older generations suits the needs and demands of current school populations. The chapter draws on recent thinking in sociocultural theories of motivation, notions of transition into adulthood and constructions of adolescence. These provide insights into relationships between student and school that contribute to a more fruitful interpretation of beginning teachers’ experiences with students. The chapter concludes by questioning if there is a sound match between current schooling and the young people whose learning it purports to serve.