Strategies in Teaching and Engaging the Millennial Generation

Abstract

Higher education has witnessed the birth of Millennial generation who forms the majority-group students in universities. Given the generation unique characteristics, teachers need to apply strategies that can develop the Millennial students’ potentials. The inability to properly address the matter may cause impediments in cultivating the generation’s full potentials. Hence, this paper aims to explain teachers’ strategies in developing productive engagement with this generation through the teaching learning process in the classroom. Qualitative methodology was employed in this study in which ten teachers were interviewed concerning their strategies in teaching their Millennial students. Using focus group interviews, the data revealed that six strategies were employed by the teachers in teaching and engaging with the students which include promoting collaboration, promoting students’ engagement inside and outside the classroom, encouraging knowledge creation, developing critical thinking, applying research-based teaching and incorporating technology. These findings have brought significant changes to the teachers in adjusting their teaching paradigm and engaging students to learning i.e. from teacher-centred to student-centred learning. Therefore, teachers at higher education particularly, should consider appropriate teaching strategies that are compatible with the Millennial generation’s characteristics in engaging them into learning.