Way Ahead – New Teaching Skills for a New Generation of Learners

Abstract

Today’s world, which is rapidly changing, has a significant impact on young people in terms of how they live, think, make choices, and learn, as well as how they prefer to learn. This creates a strong imperative for teacher education and the preparation of new teachers. It is essential to ensure that future teachers are equipped to respond effectively to the evolving demands of both education systems and society as a whole. Core subject knowledge alone is no longer sufficient, as future teachers will be working with learners who are growing up differently from most teachers currently in service. This study investigates how new teachers-to-be feel prepared for the expectations of their future clients (students). It examines their flexibility in applying approaches that differ from those they experienced as students. The aim was to identify key challenges future teachers foresee in their career as well as their willingness to incorporate transversal skills in their teaching. Findings from semi-structured interviews suggest that teacher trainees generally feel confident in basic classroom management; however, they are less confident in their ability to motivate the younger generation to learn. The greatest uncertainty concerned how to manage students’ learning processes in the context of AI integration. This area represents one of the most rapidly evolving developments and requires careful consideration and critical thinking to be used effectively in education. Transversal skills seem to future teachers as a natural supplement, although not easy to implement.