“Ztudents” on X and Y Lenses in Turkey: Views of X and Y Generation Teachers about Certain Class Properties of Gen Z High-School Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine Z generation high-school students’ properties carried into class, and to reveal periodic factors and indicators for class motivations, study habits and class disrupting behaviours, according to X and Y generation teachers’ opinions. The study was in a qualitative phenomenological design. The study group was formed with multistage sampling, including criterion and disproportional quota sampling. Accordingly, 96 high-school teachers participated in the study group. The data was collected with a survey of open-ended questions and a semi-structured focus group interview. Content and descriptive analyses were used for data analysis. As a result, positive perspectives towards Z students’ properties, class motivations, studying habits, and class-disrupting behaviours were limited, whereas negative views were in the majority. Evident negative periodic factors were technology misuse, curriculum discordance, moral degeneration, and the negative indicators were weak time management, unplanned studying, improper studying, attitudinal and behavioural disorder. Z students’ properties are adversely reflected on in-class processes through mutually aggravating relations of periodic factors and behavioural indicators. X teachers had more adverse views pointing to Z students’ mostly inner properties for the negative studentship whereas, Y teachers drew attention to the disharmony between the Z cohort and educational environment.