Guiding Generation Alpha: A Collaborative Teacher-pairing Model across Generations in IB MYP Classrooms

Abstract

This paper discusses an intergeneration co-teaching model to tackle the issue of device use distraction by Generation Alpha students within a Middle Years Program (MYP) of a Chinese International Baccalaureate (IB) school. The research suggests matching a young tech-savvy teacher with an old-style teacher who possesses the best classroom control skills. The central goal is to successfully teach the students by finding a fine balance between technology-enhanced learning and maintaining solid knowledge within the IB MYP structure. This study utilizes an observational research design to target Year 6 IB MYP classrooms with theoretical underpinnings from Sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1979). The anticipated results are stronger student engagement, better student academic performance, and reciprocal professional growth among teachers involved. This offers a response grounded in theory and supported by evidence to the issues faced by the teachers in IB schools today. IB content is characterized by rigor in terms of content as students transition from the MYP to the IB Diploma Program (DP). Rigor, in this context, refers to the extent to which a demanding method of innovation serves as a viable response to a significant real-world issue, grounded in recognized educational standards (Blackburn, 2016). This research is framed as a possible answer to an urgent challenge within the educational sector, showcasing how a solution can interact with existing educational models to reflect both practical applicability and academic rigor.