Social studies teacher´s handling of the changing youth culture. : A qualitative study exploring teacher´s perceptions of the changing youth culture and  it´s impact on the social studies education.

Today´s youth culture reflects contemporary society. The evolving youth culture is now described as both mediatized and globalized. Young people today are born into a society that the older generation may view critically. Youth are influenced by various forms of media that shapes their lives. Society is constantly changing, which leads to a shifting youth culture. Often clashing with the values of older generations. The aim of this study was to explore how social studies teachers handle the changing youth culture. The study also examined teachers´ perceptions of youth culture within the context of social studies teachers’ education through interviews. The research questions were closely aligned with the aim of the study and focused on how teachers perceive today´s youth culture and how they address it in this their teaching. The investigation is based on interviews with social studies teachers regarding how youth culture is addressed in their teaching. The teachers reported observable changes in students’ behaviour and attitudes towards school, the results showed that teachers have had to adapt their teaching due to students decreased ability to concentrate. However, the extent to which they adapted their teaching varied among the teachers. The changing youth culture places a significant responsibility on teachers to provide young people with the knowledge and understanding they need to navigate today´s society. A common theme among the interviewed teachers was the identification of social media, gang-related crime, and a shift in knowledge levels as key elements of the new youth culture. While teachers shared similar observations, their approaches to handling these changes in the classroom varied, if they addressed them at all.