ABSTRACT
Education has been ascribed increasing and significant importance for young people's chances in life. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book includes an interview with Norwegian Senior Researcher and Professor Emeritus Einar M. Skaalvik, who has written numerous books on motivation. It presents a model of young people's motivation that can be used to take the pulse of young people's motivation in specific learning contexts. The book argues that students who avoid learning opportunities and behave disruptively in class are often marked by a fear of failing academically and looking 'stupid' in front of their peers. It describes the interaction between the dominant new thinking in the education system and young people's educational orientation. The book talks about the role of school in society, but with a particular emphasis on the consequences of the current education policy.
