Across Generations: Defining Pedagogical Characteristics of Generation X, Y, and Z Allied Health Teachers Using Q-Methodology

Abstract

The present study identified the characteristics of allied health teachers across three generations. Using Q-methodology, a tripartite of characteristics as reflected by the three domains of learning emerged, namely, “the competence-centered teacher,” “the empathetic teacher,” and “the innovative teacher.” Teachers across the three generations were described to be “competence-centered” since all believe to be well-qualified at their jobs. On the other hand, Generation Y teachers were described to be “empathetic” that show tough love to their students, whereas Generation Z teachers were branded as “innovative” due to their efficiency in using technology and their effective teaching strategies. Lastly, Generation X teachers were described to be the flexible generation being able to manifest all three characteristics of allied health teachers.

Introduction

The quality of good allied health teachers is linked to improved student learning and, ultimately, patient care [15]. Teacher quality is the ability to interact with students and advance what they know and can do. It is believed that schools can improve student achievement by attraction and retention of high-quality teachers [18]. Teacher effectiveness is a significant factor influencing student academic gain [31]. More considerable attention has been given to the importance of teacher quality in student achievement. Research affirms that teaching quality is the most critical factor influencing student achievement [17, 26]. Research also shows that positive faculty actions and interactions with allied health students create positive student performance outcomes [24]. With that, teacher characteristics related to good teaching quality are essential areas of investigation.

A good teacher possesses a blend of excellent characteristics that create a positive learning environment. He has exceptional communication and human relations skills, evaluates students’ performance objectively, demonstrates knowledge of the subject he is teaching, is a facilitator of students’ intellectual development, and is respectful [30]. Being a good and effective teacher to the students does not follow a rigid formula, as effective teaching entails matching the teacher’s characteristics to the students’ learning needs. Through the years, student characteristics have changed concurrently with the advancements occurring in the fast-changing world. Learners included in three different generations, namely Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z, have varied learning needs and learning styles. It is the role of the teacher to recognize the different needs and learn the techniques of each student to be able to optimize their learning potential. Students are more apt to respond favorably to the subject matter if it is presented in a manner that accommodates their learning preferences [5].

There is growing evidence that generational differences influence learning [6]. The learning needs of the current breed of learners, Gen Z, must be ideally matched by their teachers, the majority of which belong to the higher generations. Gen Y, or the “Millennials,” represent most teachers in schools [1]. In today’s age, students are considered the digital natives defined as “native speakers of technology, fluent in the digital language of computers, video games, and the internet” [28]. The main challenge for teachers is to adapt to the current needs of twenty-first-century learners and to make the needed adjustments to bridge the so-called generation gap. Generally, the study aims to establish a clear concept of the probable current match or mismatch of allied health students and teacher characteristics. Specifically, it defined the characteristics of current allied health teachers, and it established the baseline characteristics for the creation of a questionnaire for the preferred teacher characteristics of allied health students.

Methods

The Q-methodology is selected to reveal the self-perceived pedagogical characteristics of current allied health teachers from generations X, Y, and Z. This method is able to provide a combination of the advantages of both qualitative and quantitative methods as it yields the profoundness of a qualitative study and the objectiveness of quantitative research [4, 33]. Q-methodology investigates subjectivity [35] by exploring how participants rank-order opinion statements about a particular phenomenon of interest into a normal distribution (− to +) grid. By implementing this method, participants are correlated by the way they view their own teaching characteristics, and then through factor analysis, participants from the three generations (X, Y, Z) who share similar ways of thinking are clustered together. The interpretation of the resulting factors subsequently reveals how participants share similar or different points of view [3]. Performing a Q-methodological study involves the following steps: (1) definition of the concourse; (2) development of the Q-sample; (3) selection of the P-set; (4) Q-sorting; and (5) analysis and interpretation.

Study Participants, Concourse Generation, and Selection of Items for Q-Sample

The generation of the concourse was done by a combination of an extensive methodological literature review on characteristics of effective teachers and interviews with current allied health teachers. Upon acquiring ethical board approval, the researchers conducted interviews among 15 allied health teachers (five from Gen X, five from Gen Y, and five from Gen Z). The participants that were included in the study were as follows: (a) currently employed as college teacher from College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP) and (b) had accrued at least 1 year of teaching experience. The years covered per generation were based on various studies since no definite years covered per generation has been established yet [8, 14]. Participants were grouped into Gen X if they are born between 1961 and 1981, Gen Y if they are born between 1982 and 1994, and Gen Z if they are born in 1995 up to the present.

The allied health teachers each provided their perceived personal characteristics, which foster learning for their students in response to one open-ended question: “What do you think are your characteristics that would help your students learn better?” This process yielded 74 statements on teacher characteristics facilitatory to student learning. These 74 statements were combined with the 90 statements generated during the literature review and were then consolidated by the researchers to eliminate redundant statements. This process resulted in a preliminary Q-sample consisting of 69 statements (q = 69). This preliminary Q-sample was then validated by three experts (one expert on curriculum development, one expert on evaluation and measures, and one expert on teaching strategies and classroom management), as patterned from the study by Sy et al. [37] with some modifications by the authors. Based on the mean scores of each statement rated by the experts, 11 statements with the lowest mean scores were eliminated. This process resulted in the final Q-sample of 58 statements, which is an ideal number for a forced-choice type of frequency distribution in a rank-order procedure during Q-sorting.

Selection of the P-set

The P-set (P = 9) was established on the basis that the number of participants rarely is higher than the number of statements in the Q-sample [39]. The participants (N = 9), who completed the Q-sorting, were selected using a stratified sampling technique and were randomly chosen per strata depending on what generation they belong. Nine participants are sufficient to represent Gen X (n = 3), Gen Y (n = 3), and the Gen Z (n = 3) given that Q-methodology simply seeks to establish, understand, and compare individuals’ self-referent views expressed through the Q-sort process [3]. Participants of the study or the P-set (n = 9) were not part of those groups of teachers (n = 15) who participated in generating the concourse as discussed previously.

Q-Sort Process

In the Q-sort process, participants were prompted to reflect on their strengths as allied health teachers and then asked to rank in order the 58 statements in the Q-sample on a forced-choice frequency distribution. In a forced-choice frequency distribution, the participants are tasked to determine and plot a specific number of statements along with the Q-sort forced-choice frequency distribution table. Each column in this frequency table is assigned a numerical value. Statements plotted on the column (+ 5) denote the statements which they most agreed with, and statements on column (− 5) denote the statements which they least agreed. Items placed in the middle (0) of the rank order were regarded as neutral.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Ken-Q Analysis was used to generate the correlation matrix and perform the principal component (factor) analysis and factor rotation. It is a web application for analyzing Q-methodology data. Factor analysis is done to group small numbers of participants with the same views into factors in the form of Q-sorts [3]. It helps to identify subjective patterns that could be overlooked when using qualitative analysis. The completed Q-sorts were entered into the software program. Three principal components (factors) were generated after the principal component analysis was done. Following the Kaiser criterion, only three principal components had an eigenvalue of ≥ 1. Similarities between Q-sorts were identified from the correlation matrix, and the principal component analysis classifies information based on the correlations between Q-sorts. Next, factor rotation was done using the varimax rotation technique, where the Q-sorts that were flagged to be significant at p value 0.05 were considered.

Results

Table 1 shows that after principal component analysis, only three principal components (factors) were noted to have an eigenvalue of ≥ 1 (following the Kaiser criterion). Therefore, only three principal components were taken into consideration. These were factor 1 with an eigenvalue of 2.823724, factor 2 with an eigenvalue of 1.492976, and factor 3 with an eigenvalue of 1.085847.

Table 1.

Factor extraction from the Q-sorts

Participant	Factor 1	Factor 2	Factor 3	Factor 4	Factor 5	Factor 6	Factor 7	Factor 8
X1	0.4756	− 0.544	0.2155	0.4364	− 0.1052	0.3116	0.2744	− 0.157
X2	0.5628	− 0.0645	0.3098	0.4758	0.4102	− 0.372	− 0.1228	0.1856
X3	0.8192	0.2858	− 0.0343	0.1344	− 0.1574	0.1411	0.0676	− 0.1174
Y1	0.3737	0.5544	− 0.4924	0.3603	− 0.056	0.1772	− 0.3221	0.0008
Y2	0.6204	0.2343	− 0.4112	− 0.2128	0.0871	− 0.2793	0.4941	0.0117
Y3	0.4278	− 0.4773	− 0.3126	− 0.3308	0.5225	0.1537	− 0.2073	− 0.2038
Z1	0.6361	− 0.4548	− 0.1181	− 0.249	− 0.2994	0.0889	− 0.1235	0.447
Z2	0.6468	0.0703	0.3938	− 0.3133	− 0.3075	− 0.2678	− 0.2466	− 0.2784
Z3	0.2812	0.5563	0.5138	− 0.3044	0.2871	0.3685	0.0846	0.1484
Eigenvalues	2.823724	1.492976	1.085847	0.972237	0.754468	0.603865	0.568973	0.413851
% Explained Variance	31	17	12	11	8	7	6	5

After factor rotation using varimax rotation technique, the following Q-sorts were flagged to be significant at p value 0.05: two sorts for factor 1 (Y1 = 0.8204 and Y2 = 0.7221, or 66.67% of participants from Gen Y); three sorts for factor 2 (X1 = 0.6544, Y3 = 0.6892, and Z1 = 0.7457, or 33.33% of participants from each generation); and three sorts for factor 3 (X2 = 0.5689, Z2 = 0.7176, and Z3 = 0.693, or 66.67% of participants from Gen Z). It also showed that only one sort (X3) was not flagged significant for any of the factors (summarized in Table 2).

Table 2.

Factor loading scores from the Q-sorts

Q-sort	Factor 1	Factor 2	Factor 3
X1	− 0.1883	0.6544*	0.3239
X2	0.0579	0.2998	0.5689*
X3	0.6083	0.2386	0.5718
Y1	0.8204*	− 0.1261	0.0217
Y2	0.7221*	0.2502	0.158
Y3	0.1679	0.6892*	− 0.0731
Z1	0.1625	0.7457*	0.2071
Z2	0.1207	0.2209	0.7176*
Z3	0.116	− 0.3985	0.693*

*Significant at p value < 0.05

Factor 1: The Empathetic Teacher

Two of the 9 participants were associated with factor 1. We also considered X3 under factor 1 since it has a high factor score (X3 = 0.6083), as compared with others, even if it is not flagged as significant. Individuals who are associated with factor 1 perceived “being understanding” as one of their strengths (item 9, 5**) in being an allied health teacher. Being patient (item 16, 4**) but strict (item 20, 3**) were also included among the characteristics that define teachers included in factor 1. Subjects included in factor 1 also believe that being available to their students (item 5, 0*) is one of their strengths. These statements, highly associated with the affective domain, show that allied health teachers are empathetic teachers towards their students. Specifically, 2 out of 3 (66.67%) sorts from Gen Y (Y1 and Y2) and 1 out of 3 sorts from Gen X (X3) emerged to identify factor 1 as their distinguishing characteristics.

Factor 2: The Competence-Centered Teacher

Factor 2 included 3 out of the 9 participants. An important characteristic of an allied health teacher or any teacher is well-qualified for the job (item 28, 4**). Also, competent teachers treat their students like adults (item 24, 3*) and are very hands-on in teaching their students (item 23, 2*). Another characteristic of an allied health teacher included in factor 2 is having a set of expectations for student learning and behavior (item 47, − 1**). These statements, strongly associated with the cognitive domain, show that allied health teachers are competence-centered teachers. The results reflect that with being qualified for the job of teaching allied health students, they are supposed to treat students like adults for the students to be prepared after graduation to face the real world. Three sorts, one for each of the three generations (X1, Y1, and Z1), emerged to identify factor 2 as their distinguishing characteristics.

Factor 3: The Innovative Teacher

Three out of the 9 subjects concurred with factor 3. Allied health teachers are enthusiastic (item 8, 5**) and can apply learning to real-life experiences (item 56, 3*). Allied health teachers under factor 3 are also engaged in interprofessional learning and collaboration (item 33, 4**) and employ effective teaching strategies (item 35, 0**). Additionally, they also conduct interactive classes (item 37, 3*). These statements, highly associated with the psychomotor domain, show that allied health teachers are innovative teachers wherein classes are interactive, and learning includes applying real-life experiences. Specifically, 2 out of 3 (66.67%) sorts from Gen Z (Z2 and Z3) emerged to identify with factor 3 as their distinguishing characteristics.

The complete factor array with factor scores and the summary of the significant statements are summarized in Tables 3 and 4, respectively. Interestingly, it can be noted that among the three factors that emerged, a Gen X participant is always present. This can be interpreted that allied health teachers belonging to this generation are considered flexible and adaptable generation since they manifest the distinguishing characteristics of allied health teachers in all three factors that emerged from the study.

Table 3.

Factor array with factor scores

Item	Statement	Factor scores
	My strength as an allied health teacher is that	F1	F2	F3
1	I am caring.	5	− 3**	5
2	I have dedication/commitment/passion for teaching.	3	5	3
3	I have strength of character.	− 3**	4	2
4	I show respect for students.	4	3	1
5	I am always available for the students.	0*	− 5*	− 2*
6	Students are comfortable with me.	2	− 4**	0
7	I am helpful.	3	1	0
8	I am enthusiastic.	0	− 5**	5**
9	I am understanding.	5**	− 3	− 2
10	I have the versatility to be able to easily adjust to my students.	1	1	− 1
11	I am open to other’s opinions.	3	4	0
12	I have a sound ethical grasp of the aims of teaching.	2	3	− 1**
13	I am fair and just.	5	2	4
14	I am a good listener.	4	4	2
15	I show genuine concern for students.	3	2	5
16	I am patient.	4**	− 2	− 3
17	I am considerate.	4	− 3**	3
18	I am approachable.	2	− 2**	4
19	I am assertive.	0	1	− 2
20	I am strict.	3**	− 4	− 4
21	I insert humour during our classes.	1	1	2
22	I have a loud voice or I use a lapel microphone for proper voice modulation.	1	0	− 1
23	I am very hands-on in teaching students.	− 1	2*	− 4*
24	I treat my students like adults.	0	3*	− 2
25	I can communicate with clarity and comprehensibility.	1	3	1
26	I am an eloquent communicator.	− 1	− 2	− 3
27	I am experienced.	1	2	− 5**
28	I am well-qualified for my job.	1	4**	− 2
29	I am knowledgeable about the subject matter.	2	5	1
30	I constantly seek intellectual growth and expansiveness.	− 2**	5	3
31	I am compliant to schedules and activities set in the syllabus.	− 1	− 3	− 1
32	I am research-oriented.	− 5**	− 1	− 1
33	I am into interprofessional learning and collaboration.	0	− 4**	4**
34	I am well-prepared for the course when I teach.	− 1**	2	4
35	I have effective teaching strategies.	− 2	− 2	0**
36	I can stimulate my student’s interest.	2	0	0
37	My classes are interactive.	0	− 1	3*
38	I execute adequate and feasible student assessment.	− 3	− 1	− 1
39	I have an effective classroom management and organization.	− 4*	− 1	− 1
40	I have a well-balanced classroom.	0	− 4**	0
41	I target the different learning domains: cognitive, affective and psychomotor.	− 1	0	0
42	I focus on outcome-based output.	− 2*	0	1
43	I can practice instructional variety and differentiation.	− 2	− 3	− 2
44	I use lecture/didactic method a lot.	− 1	− 1	− 4**
45	I use the inquiry approach.	− 2	− 1	− 3
46	I have instructional complexity.	− 2	− 2	− 5**
47	I set expectations for student learning and behavior.	− 5	− 1**	− 4
48	I show sensitivity to, and concern with, class level and progress.	− 3**	0	2
49	I use technology effectively and efficiently.	− 3	− 2	2**
50	I can make and utilize informative teaching materials.	1	0	− 3**
51	I give out hand-outs before and/or after the discussion.	− 5	− 5	− 5
52	I provide homework, assignments, and supplementary readings that are helpful in understanding the course.	− 4**	1	1
53	I provide quality of verbal feedback.	0	0	− 3
54	I encourage responsibility.	− 1	1	0
55	I provide reasonable challenge to students.	− 4**	2	1
56	I can apply learning to real-life experiences.	− 3*	0	3*
57	I connect current discussions with the previous lessons.	− 4**	3	1
58	I present a lesson using a deductive approach (general overview of the lesson before I discuss the specific).	2	1	2

*Significant at p value < 0.05

**Significant at p value < 0.01

Table 4.

Distinct characteristics of allied health teachers

Factor	Domain	Statement
The empathetic teacher	Affective	I am understanding.
		I am patient.
		I am strict.
		I am always available for the students.
The competence-centered teacher	Cognitive	I am well-qualified for my job.
		I treat my students like adults.
		I am very hands-on in teaching students.
		I set expectations for student learning and behavior.
The innovative teacher	Psychomotor	I am enthusiastic.
		I am into interprofessional and learning and collaboration.
		My classes are interactive.
		I can apply learning to real-life experiences.
		I use technology effectively and efficiently.
		I have effective teaching strategies.

Discussion

Distinct Characteristics of Allied Health Teachers

The results of the study identified that there are 14 distinct characteristics that define current allied health teachers. The defining characteristics determined are clustered based on how they reflect the three domains of learning: affective (factor 1), cognitive (factor 2), and psychomotor (factor 3). These three learning domains were used in the study as the categories of traits to illustrate a holistic viewpoint on teachers’ competence, as competence encompasses the totality of a teacher’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes [19, 21]. Furthermore, an educator’s competence is also manifested in his ability to transmit such cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills to his students [19]. Clinical simulation classroom activities that are frequently employed in teaching allied health students are more successfully facilitated by a teacher who is competent in these three domains [38]. Thus, the competence of an allied health educator as to these domains is highly valuable in teaching students in the healthcare professions.

Because the role of the allied health teacher in the formation of students as future allied health practitioners cannot be underrated, the set of characteristics of the faculty line-up is an integral factor that would affect the students’ learning experience. In a previous study done to determine Filipino student nurses’ preferences on clinical instructors’ attributes, it was stated that the quality of learning experience of the students depends a lot on the characteristics of their instructors. In the same study, the results determined that the most important instructor attributes for the students are clinical teaching capability, interpersonal relationship and care towards students, and knowledge or expertise [12]. Such findings give a positive light to the results of this current study, which identified current allied health teachers as being empathetic and competence-centered. Since the current allied health students belong to Gen Z, it is also favorable that their educators are innovative. This is to keep up with the unique learning needs of Gen Z learners who are identified as the true digital natives. This implies that Gen Z learners are highly habituated to technology, and they are remarkably characterized by their preference for learning experiences that are engaging and exciting [8]. Therefore, the combination of the distinct characteristics of current allied health teachers seems to be promising in meeting the learning needs of current allied health students.

Allied Health Teachers as Empathetic Teachers

The statements that were significantly associated with factor 1 are those of which identify the strengths of allied health teachers as to the affective domain. Among all the participants, two out of three (66.67%) among the allied health teachers representing Gen Y are those who strongly identify themselves with these affective characteristics. The majority of the Gen Y participants rated themselves positively as being understanding, patient, and strict, and always being available for students. Gen Y, often addressed to as the “Millennials,” have unique learner characteristics that may have been translated as their same characteristics when they eventually became teachers. As learners, these generations demonstrate a strong affiliation to interpersonal interaction as opposed to isolation. They are accustomed to learning in small groups than to learning individually. They are also avid users of social media as a platform for learning and sharing concepts. Although they are capable of independent learning, they prefer to have guidance from their mentors for the acquisition of higher-order thinking skills and appreciation of their learning material [11]. From their attributes as learners, a strong connection can be established as to why Gen Y teachers are highly empathetic and affective teachers, as they perceive that the guidance and care they received from their mentors positively influenced their learning. Because allied health teachers are the role models for future healthcare professionals, these affective characteristics are pivotal in molding future healthcare providers to be empathetic and caring. A previous study by De Guzman et al. [9] identified that the extent to which students felt cared for influences their caring attitude towards their patients once they become health professionals [9, 12]. Thus, these empathetic attributes mostly manifested by Gen Y allied health teachers are highly constructive teacher characteristics that may help produce caring and compassionate healthcare professionals.

Allied Health Teachers as Competence-Centered Teachers

Another critical characteristic of allied health teachers that emerged from the study and is associated with both factor 2 and the cognitive domain is the competence-centered teacher. Each generation of teachers is well represented in this cognitive characteristic, indicating that whatever generation they belong to, as teachers, they aim to be the best in their field. A competence-centered teacher views themselves as someone who is well-qualified in their job and very hands-on in teaching the students, as shown in our results. Aside from that, the competence-centered teacher also gives their students a certain degree of independence. As previously stated, “good teachers can make a difference in their students’ progress” [13, 29], the present study showed that allied health teachers, regardless of what generation they belong, strive to be competent in their field, and to produce skilled professionals. This is supported by a study done by Kunter et al. [20], wherein their assumption is that the competence of the teacher is directly related to his teaching quality. In the previous study, they have found out that the teacher’s ability affected the student’s achievement and enjoyment. More interestingly, students of teachers with better pedagogy content knowledge and who are enthusiastic about teaching showed higher achievement gains [20]. This is further supported by the study of Muhammad Arifin [25], wherein, based on the findings, being competent is shown to have a positive association with job satisfaction and teacher performance [25]. Hence, these attributes common to all allied health teachers are a must since they help to produce competent healthcare professionals.

Allied Health Teachers as Innovative Teachers

The third factor that emerged from the study that is associated with the psychomotor domain is the innovative teacher. In this factor, two out of the three Gen Z participants identified themselves as having these characteristics. Based on our findings, innovative teachers view themselves as enthusiastic, collaborative, and interactive. They also see themselves as efficient in using new technology and have practical teaching strategies. They are also able to relate real-life experiences in their teaching. In a published review article, they have mentioned that Gen Z individuals are collaborative, creative, observant, curious, willing to experiment, willing to challenge the status quo, risk-takers, action-oriented, and visionary. In addition, Gen Z is coming of age in a context that provides them with innovation ability beyond that of previous generations [10]. Gen Z individuals have a heightened awareness with regard to their social relationships, but they have a broad reach to people because of technology. Because of technology, they have infinite connections with other people wherein these connections develop broad ties that are also deep [16, 40]. Also, Gen Z is said to be natural collaborators who understand that reciprocal sharing is at the core of developing collaborative relationships [22, 40]. Aside from these, young people today, particularly the Gen Z, spend more of their time in education [32]. This increased exposure gives them an extended opportunity to explore and learn and may lead to a heightened motivation to innovate [7]. Also, the rise of technology and new media has increased opportunities for young people to become experts in subjects they find interesting [16]. This opportunity will then allow space for curiosity, directed learning, and identity exploration that were not available to past generations [10]. Hence, these attributes manifested by Gen Z are a must since they help to produce innovative and collaborative healthcare professionals.

Allied Health Teachers as Flexible Teachers

Lastly, in this study, we were able to describe the Gen X teachers as supple being able to manifest all three characteristics (empathetic, competence-centered, and innovative) of allied health teachers. Considering that Gen X teachers are experienced being those who have handled students of generations Y and Z, it makes them flexible. Gen X teachers regard themselves as well-qualified for the job. Research findings suggested that educational qualification and certification are useful screening indicators for effective teachers. However, it was found out that instructional experiences and practices are more strongly associated with teacher effectiveness [27]. A Life-Cycle Model for Career Teachers was developed by Steffy and Wolfe [36], which is a developmental model of good practice based on contextual experience. The model categorizes teachers in six phases, namely, the novice, apprentice, professional, expert, distinguished, and emeritus. With the model, teachers were found to keep on improving from lower to higher phase as long as they work in a reflective learning environment [36]. Beginning teachers were followed during their first 3 years of professional practice in the Netherlands; results showed that the quality of teachers’ classroom climate and clarity of instruction was perceived better by their students and interpreted as good according to qualification metric of teaching quality [23]. As the new millennium in 2001 entered, a study was done to compare the work values of different generations. It was found out that work values change as the workers grow older; newer employees were found to be less loyal to the company and more “me” oriented. A more idealistic attitude towards work and a balance between doing a good job and maximizing individual goals were observed among Gen X-ers [34].

In a mixed study design of qualitative and quantitative techniques of the job expectations of X and Y generation teachers, the following were the significant findings which can be correlated with the characteristic of being flexible of X generation teachers: (1) expect more rigid rules in the workplace, which makes these teachers prioritize the setting of expectations for student learning and behavior; (2) believe that commitment is for the organization and not for the job, which explains why they are competence-centered; (3) adopt a workaholic style, that is why they are very hands-on in teaching the students; and finally, (4) have high regard in performing joint studies; teamwork is the basis of being successful in work, which probably is the reason why they treat their students like adults [2].

Conclusion

Determining the pedagogical characteristics of the current allied health teachers via empirical study is important because they profoundly influence students’ achievement. The primary intent of this mixed qualitative-quantitative study is to unravel the characteristics of allied health teachers across the three generations. This study thus revealed that allied health teachers were empathetic, competent, innovative, and flexible. The empathetic teacher, as highly associated with Gen Y, is more on interpersonal interaction as opposed to isolation. On the other hand, the competence-centered teacher, as a trait for all allied health teachers, aims to be the best in their field. Next, the innovative teachers are more on being enthusiastic, collaborative, and interactive, which was observed among Gen Z. Lastly, a fourth characteristic emerged, the flexible teacher as manifested by Gen X teachers. This characteristic shows that because of their vast experience in the profession, Gen X teachers can significantly adapt to change.

The moderatum generalization being offered in this study calls for a more in-depth longitudinal and cross-sectional investigation to test its universality and to generate a more panoramic perspective and a conclusive picture of the qualities discussed in this paper. Characteristics of allied health teachers are essential considerations in training needs and professional development programs. Most importantly, effective teachers are those who are able to build a relationship with students, and this can only be achieved if both have mutual consideration of each other’s character.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

The study was duly approved for conduct by the Angeles University Foundation – Center for Research and Development Ethics Review Committee (ERC Ref No.: 205) under the project entitled “Bridging the generational gap: Determination of the preferred teacher characteristics of twenty-first century allied health students using a mixed-method approach.”

Informed Consent

All participants included were asked to sign an informed consent form. Participation is purely voluntary, and participants can withdraw at any time without potential loss of benefits. Individuals were also assured of utmost privacy and confidentiality in all phases of the study.