Maths, Sex and Rock ‘n’ Roll: How Can We Engage the Millennial Student?

Abstract

In this paper the authors discuss the reasons for young people opting out of the study of school mathematics and the implications for education, particularly in the context of the middle years of schooling. Drawing on the current literature on intergenerational differences, the authors propose that young people, Millennials, have grown up in particular social, cultural and economics conditions which have shaped them in particular ways that, in turn, shape their thinking, beliefs and actions. In particular, the authors focus on two key constructs: the impact of technology, and marketing on youth, and how these create particular views of the world. This has implications for education, especially in the middle years.