2022•The Korea Association of Yeolin EducationRequires access
Generation Gap and Conflict in teaching society: Focusing on the Inter-Generation Perception and Evaluation of Elementary School Teachers
Miyoung Han, Kyoungwha Moon
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Abstract
This study explored the generation gap and conflict among teachers in the teaching society focusing on mutual perceptions and evaluations between teacher generations. For this purpose, in study 1 we classified elementary school teachers into the following: 86 generation, X generation, and the MZ generation respectively and examined the degree of mutual perception of each other by generation. Results of survey analysis show that the perception of generational differences between young MZ generation teachers in their 20s and 30s and 86 generation teachers in their 50s and 60s was noticeable, indicating clear generational boundaries. On the other hand, Generation X, who is in their 40s, is a generation sandwiched between the younger generation of the MZ generation and the older generation of 86 generation in terms of psychological distance. In addition, MZ generation teachers tended to perceive that generation differences could be the cause of intergenerational conflict than 86 or X generation teachers, but overall, elementary school teachers did not have a high perception of teacher conflict in schools. In study 2, through empirical data through FGI, how to evaluate each other between generations and the contents of mutual evaluation between teacher generations were examined in more detail. As a result of the study, each generation had both positive and negative perceptions of the other generation, but in particular, the lower generation, the MZ generation, had a stronger negative perception of the upper generation, the 86 generation. However, the perception of psychological discomfort or conflict felt by the other generation seems to be caused by differences in subjective perceptions and interpretations of expression methods or behavior patterns between generations. Based on the results of this study, implications for intergenerational communication and cooperation in the teaching society were discussed.