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.