{"id":{"repo_id":"ksu","oai_identifier":"oai:krex.k-state.edu:2097/47331"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ksu/oai:krex.k-state.edu:2097/47331","repository":{"repo_id":"ksu","name":"Kansas State University","base_url":"https://krex.k-state.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Generation Z teachers’ technology use shapes teaching, understanding of policy, and impression of leadership","abstract":"Generation Z makes up 21% of the U.S. population (Conte, 2026) and 18.4% of the teaching field (USA Facts, 2025). This study explores how high achieving Gen Z teachers use technology to shape their professional practice and knowledge of education policy. This research further explored how Gen Z teachers prefer administrators to use technology when they lead. Descriptive qualitative research design uses semi-structured interviews and a collection of artifacts from social media, teacher focused websites, and AI inquiries (Elliott & Timulak, 2019). The Just-In-Time learning conceptual framework provides context to the ways Gen Z teachers learn just as they need the information, when they need it (Fellay, 2024; Yilmaz et al., 2021). The findings of this study offer insight into Gen Z teachers’ use of social media to make connections and communicate as well as learn and network professionally. Using professional social media profiles, Gen Z teachers put up guardrails and self-censor for protection. In their use of teacher focused websites, Gen Z teachers meet learning standards for students and improve the depth of instruction. Time influences the use of AI by Gen Z teachers despite expressing skepticism when using it. In regards to leadership, Gen Z teachers prefer those who lead them to express competence with technology to ensure efficiency in communications, evaluations, and technology-based management systems. Gen Z teachers define education policy as impacting their jobs as they learn about it through technology.","abstract_html":"Generation Z makes up 21% of the U.S. population (Conte, 2026) and 18.4% of the teaching field (USA Facts, 2025). This study explores how high achieving Gen Z teachers use technology to shape their professional practice and knowledge of education policy. This research further explored how Gen Z teachers prefer administrators to use technology when they lead. Descriptive qualitative research design uses semi-structured interviews and a collection of artifacts from social media, teacher focused websites, and AI inquiries (Elliott & Timulak, 2019). The Just-In-Time learning conceptual framework provides context to the ways Gen Z teachers learn just as they need the information, when they need it (Fellay, 2024; Yilmaz et al., 2021). The findings of this study offer insight into Gen Z teachers’ use of social media to make connections and communicate as well as learn and network professionally. Using professional social media profiles, Gen Z teachers put up guardrails and self-censor for protection. In their use of teacher focused websites, Gen Z teachers meet learning standards for students and improve the depth of instruction. Time influences the use of AI by Gen Z teachers despite expressing skepticism when using it. In regards to leadership, Gen Z teachers prefer those who lead them to express competence with technology to ensure efficiency in communications, evaluations, and technology-based management systems. Gen Z teachers define education policy as impacting their jobs as they learn about it through technology.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Belew, Kara E."],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026","date_published":"2026","updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:01:17Z","subjects":["Generation Z teachers","Technology","Education Leadership","Education policy","Just-In-Time Learning","Gen Z"],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2097/47331","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Belew, Kara E."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-07-23T18:52:33Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-07-23T18:52:33Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Generation Z teachers","Technology","Education Leadership","Education policy","Just-In-Time Learning","Gen Z"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2097/47331"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Generation Z makes up 21% of the U.S. population (Conte, 2026) and 18.4% of the teaching field (USA Facts, 2025). This study explores how high achieving Gen Z teachers use technology to shape their professional practice and knowledge of education policy. This research further explored how Gen Z teachers prefer administrators to use technology when they lead. Descriptive qualitative research design uses semi-structured interviews and a collection of artifacts from social media, teacher focused websites, and AI inquiries (Elliott & Timulak, 2019). The Just-In-Time learning conceptual framework provides context to the ways Gen Z teachers learn just as they need the information, when they need it (Fellay, 2024; Yilmaz et al., 2021). The findings of this study offer insight into Gen Z teachers’ use of social media to make connections and communicate as well as learn and network professionally. Using professional social media profiles, Gen Z teachers put up guardrails and self-censor for protection. In their use of teacher focused websites, Gen Z teachers meet learning standards for students and improve the depth of instruction. Time influences the use of AI by Gen Z teachers despite expressing skepticism when using it. In regards to leadership, Gen Z teachers prefer those who lead them to express competence with technology to ensure efficiency in communications, evaluations, and technology-based management systems. Gen Z teachers define education policy as impacting their jobs as they learn about it through technology."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Education"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Generation Z teachers’ technology use shapes teaching, understanding of policy, and impression of leadership"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Belew, Kara E."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-07-23T18:52:33Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-07-23T18:52:33Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026"],"dc:description.abstract":["Generation Z makes up 21% of the U.S. population (Conte, 2026) and 18.4% of the teaching field (USA Facts, 2025). This study explores how high achieving Gen Z teachers use technology to shape their professional practice and knowledge of education policy. This research further explored how Gen Z teachers prefer administrators to use technology when they lead. Descriptive qualitative research design uses semi-structured interviews and a collection of artifacts from social media, teacher focused websites, and AI inquiries (Elliott & Timulak, 2019). The Just-In-Time learning conceptual framework provides context to the ways Gen Z teachers learn just as they need the information, when they need it (Fellay, 2024; Yilmaz et al., 2021). The findings of this study offer insight into Gen Z teachers’ use of social media to make connections and communicate as well as learn and network professionally. Using professional social media profiles, Gen Z teachers put up guardrails and self-censor for protection. In their use of teacher focused websites, Gen Z teachers meet learning standards for students and improve the depth of instruction. Time influences the use of AI by Gen Z teachers despite expressing skepticism when using it. In regards to leadership, Gen Z teachers prefer those who lead them to express competence with technology to ensure efficiency in communications, evaluations, and technology-based management systems. Gen Z teachers define education policy as impacting their jobs as they learn about it through technology."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Education"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/2097/47331"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:subject":["Generation Z teachers","Technology","Education Leadership","Education policy","Just-In-Time Learning","Gen Z"],"dc:title":["Generation Z teachers’ technology use shapes teaching, understanding of policy, and impression of leadership"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:01:17Z"}