From X to Z: Generation X Parents' Expectations From School for Their Generation Z Children

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Perspectives on Educational Change: Cultural Shifts, Generational Expectations, and Professional Collaboration

Abstract

Every few years there is a generation shift which reflects and shapes social trends. When Generation X parents choose an innovative school for their Generation Z children, it affords us a glimpse of a future school, as the present study shows. Applying the case study method, an innovative school’s core practices and parents' expectations were analyzed. The findings present expectations that match Generation Z’s needs, such as self-actualization, social skills, and emphasis on values, as well as the Generation X parents’ balanced needs for maintaining the matriculation exams for preparation for college. The conclusion is that future schooling will have to consider the combination of Generation Z children’s needs as well as those of their parents.

Authors

• Hagar Levy, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

• Hilla Tal, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

• Dorit Tubin, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev