Abstract
The passage to middle school has been identified as a confusing period for young adolescents involving a series of major transitions. A new variable that now permeates these already lofty transitions is the firm entrenchment of Generation Alpha in the middle grades classroom. “Gen Alpha” includes anyone born from 2010 onward, making them the first generation who will be entirely born and shaped in the 21st century. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of current middle school teachers across Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio toward their Gen Alpha students so as to uncover the concrete issues that these teachers encounter as they work with this undeniably unique cohort. A total of 139 teachers responded to the researcher-generated electronic survey, which was coded inductively and analyzed for content. Feedback points to a cohort that is digitally literate with great adaptability, but also a cohort that exhibits delayed social development and a myriad of global concerns. These factors all have implications for the ways they learn, interact, and function in the middle school classroom.
Recommended Citation
Huss, John A. and Eastep, Shannon. (2024). A Tri-State Study of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions of Generation Alpha Students: Are Middle Schools Ready for “Generation Glass?”. i.e.: inquiry in education: Vol. 16: Iss. 1, Article 7.Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/ie/vol16/iss1/7