Generation Y Attitudes, Characteristics, and Teaching Behavior

Attitudes, characteristics, and behavior of the Generation Y are really different compared to Generation X. This study explored the attitudes and characteristics of Generation Y teachers. The teacher-respondents were the 208 public school teachers. Data gathered were from the questionnaire, observation, interviews, and focus group discussion. Finding shows that Generation Y teachers’ attitudes are often open to diversity and challenges and have a liberal-democratic attitude towards the students. Their characteristics expressed much of political concern in the country. Regarding their teaching behavior, they both practice behaviorism and constructivism. Being often open to diversity and challenges, they can easily shift from one behavior to another whenever the situation calls for it. Findings further show that there is no significant difference between the teaching behavior of Generation Y and X. They both practice constructivism and behaviorism. It also shows that the attitudes and characteristics and teaching behavior have a significant relationship. Practicing both constructivism and behaviorism are relative to their attitude being often open to diversity and challenges and their characteristic as politically oriented. Thus, Generation Y teachers’ political orientation and openness to diversity and challenges contributed to the ease of shifting from one teaching behavior to another. Likewise, their liberal-democratic attitudes towards learners are also manifestations of being flexible and open toward diversity of learners.

 

Keywords: Attitude and characteristics of Generation Y, teaching behavior, technology orientation, constructivism, behaviorism