Introduction
In our ever changing world, students are becoming more and more reliant on technology to do things for them. Due to this, students are growing up with experiences that are vastly different to those of generations before them. The problem with this is not that the students are having different experiences. The school districts and the teachers are in many cases not trying to relate to the experiences of Gen Z students. What they are trying to do in many cases is adapt traditional learning from the "Golden Era" of teaching. Many teachers use that term as a crutch to describe their experiences as a student. Teachers need to not focus on their experiences, but trying to relate to the experiences of the students. I believe one of the best ways to do this is to use this using Piaget and Vygotsky's theory of Constructivism.
Understanding Constructivism
Constructivism is a learning theory that focuses on the idea that learners actively construct knowledge through their experiences and interactions. It emphasizes the role of the learner as an active participant in the learning process. The concept of constructivism can be traced back to the works of philosophers and educators such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development laid the foundation for constructivism. He argued that individuals progress through distinct stages of cognitive development and construct knowledge based on their experiences. Piaget's ideas have greatly influenced educational practices by encouraging educators to design learning experiences that align with the cognitive development stage of their students.
Lev Vygotsky, another influential figure, introduced the sociocultural theory of development. He emphasized the significance of social interaction and cultural context in learning. Vygotsky's ideas have led to the development of collaborative learning strategies, such as peer teaching and group projects, which are widely used in modern education.
Understanding Schema
In Piaget's theory of constructivism, one essential aspect of this theory is the idea of schemas. A schema describes a pattern of actions and behaviors that creates associations with different people, things, and even institutions. An example would be when children are young and burn their hand on the stove for the first time. Their schema of the stove changes and they learn to associate touching the stove with being hot. This same theory can be applied to education and Constructivism because when students enter our classrooms, they bring their prior experiences with them. Not only that, students come in with a schema constructed based on their experiences with education. If students have a negative schema of school or a subject, they are more likely to struggle. If students have a positive schema of school or a specific subject, they are more likely to succeed. It is on educators to try and get an understanding of what that looks like in the classroom and try to help change the schemas of students by reinforcing them with positive experiences.
Application to the Gen Z Classroom
Gen Z is most often associated with people who were born between the late 1990's and the early 2010's. Most of Gen Z is at this point in middle school, high school, or college. Some are also beginning to enter the work force. It is important with each new generation to try and understand what characteristics and values make them different. In the case of Gen Z, some of the most important values include flexibility, relevance, and efficiency. All of these values are very important and show a generation that is willing to work and learn, but in a different way than some of the previous generations. Specifically, the focus on relevance is an interesting idea when it comes to teaching Gen Z in the classroom. Previous generations may have been more receptive to do something "because they had to". Gen Z on the other hand is much more willing to question the relevance of the topic to their daily lives or career goals. It can be argued that this is because in their life experience, they have had instant access to relevant information without the need for extra digging. Since they have developed their schemas in this way, the students are not as willing to just "do the work". What many teachers are struggling with is explaining the relevance to their students. I would argue that this is because many come from a "just do it" attitude. The sooner that teachers correct this the better they will be able to connect with and teach their students.
Conclusion
In the end, it is important that teachers are willing to reach out and try to understand what their students and use that information as they form their lessons. If teachers are more willing to plan their lessons around the experiences and values of their students in the style of Constructivism, they will likely see more students achievement. The issue is not that the students aren't learning. The issue is that teachers and the school system are not willing to adapt from the traditional school model.
Citations
OpenAI. (2021). GPT-3 Language Model [Computer software]. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from https://openai.com/api/
University, S. (2022, January 3). What to know about gen Z. Stanford News. https://news.stanford.edu/2022/01/03/know-gen-z/
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