The ABCs of the XYZs: Adding a Critical Dimension to Contemporary Teacher Education

Currently, the faculty at post-secondary institutions are mostly Baby Boomer and Generation-X (Gen X) faculty teaching Gen-Y and -Z students as undergraduates. According to numerous social commentators, these generations tend to vary in their worldviews, and the differences can challenge the teaching-learning relationship. In the following discussion, we would like to share some information from a few current resources that attempt to characterize and analyze the two most dominant generations among post-secondary students today. Then, we will pose a few ways that teacher educators might seek to update their instruction for Gen-Z students.