Predictors of Student Apathy amongst Generation Z

Excavating the Roots

Abstract

While extant evidence suggests that generation Z students are the dominant demography in universities, drivers of their apathetic behaviour for traditional pedagogic offerings appears minimally researched. The criticality of this lacuna lies in empirical evidence citing linear relationships between apathy and reduced performance. Thus, the study ascertains the predictors of learning apathy amongst generation Z students, using Estate Management departments in public Nigerian universities. Descriptive research design was employed on 244 generation Z students. Adapting the Theory of Planned Behavior to allow for generation Z-preferred learning preferences, Ordered Logit model was used to examine student apathy predictors in public universities. The logits report state of collaborative and simulated learning as significant predictors of student apathy. The findings delineated pathways for policy reengineering towards reduced apathy and improved satisfaction in universities. This is one of few studies at the fore of identifying learning apathy of generation Z students in public tertiary institutions.