Implementing coaching in education, or introducing an optional support service, would make it easier for young people to set difficult goals, take steps towards them and make decisions. We chose coaching as a method because it is a more direct, yet professional form of help to get closer to Generation Z young people and bring out their potential, reveal their potential and help them further find their own way.

The US NSHSS 2024 survey shows that 32% of Generation Z youth surveyed are interested in health and health-related issues, including mental health⁵ (Ghosh and Jena, 2022; Enos, 2020).

The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “working with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential.” Involvement in the coaching process is always voluntary and creates a creative space for the participant to explore their own stucknesses, ask and answer questions.

It is important to note that during the coaching process, the participant can experience a different perspective on their personal challenges and opportunities, and their thinking and decision-making skills are strengthened. In addition, they develop personal effectiveness, increase their self-confidence and move closer to fulfilling their work and life roles.⁶ It is this inner work that enables change and development. Understanding is always followed by action, otherwise understanding alone will not activate actual change.

To underline that openness to innovative solutions is not only at the level of methods and innovative solutions, but also in terms of raising self-awareness questions for a more conscious life. According to an international report by the International Coaching Federation, 44% of the more than 30,000 people surveyed were aware of the meaning of coaching, more than a third had already participated in a coaching process and about a third were planning to enrol in coaching (ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study, 2022). 19% of the young people surveyed were Generation Z, 43% of whom had already participated in a coaching process and 29% of whom were already thinking about it. Based on this openness, it makes sense to bring coaching and mentoring into the educational space (Mantha and Pratapa, 2024).

The mentoring can be a reference person with many years of experience and expertise in the field, who acts as a role model for the mentee, a credible person to follow. Unlike a coach, a mentor can suggest, advise, share and exchange personal experience in order to help the mentee to develop his or her own opinion and path, using the information received. Both coaching and mentoring are becoming increasingly common in higher education, as they enable a personalised learning pathway (Moloney et al., 2023; Nuis et al., 2023).

Generation Z’s attention and attitude to learning is already substantially different from previous generations, so new and innovative solutions are needed to replace or complement frontal teaching (Novkovic et al., 2015). This openness is not only reflected in the level of methods and innovative solutions, but also in the raising of self-awareness questions for a more conscious life, which can be effectively supported by coaching methods. According to an international report by the International Coaching Federation, 44% of the more than 30,000 people surveyed were aware of the meaning of coaching, more than a third had already participated in a coaching process and about a third were planning to enrol in coaching (ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study, 2022). 19% of the young people surveyed were Generation Z, 43% of whom had already participated in a coaching process and 29% of whom were already thinking about it. Based on this openness, it makes sense to bring coaching and mentoring into the educational space.

In addition to coaching, it is also worth mentioning mentoring as a support. Whereas in coaching the coach primarily helps the coaches to achieve better performance and achieve his or her goals, in mentoring the mentor is a resource who can be available to the mentee in his or her everyday life. The mentor, unlike the coach, can suggest, advise, share personal experience and give advice in order to help the mentee to develop his or her own opinion and path, using the information provided. In his book Coaching and Mentoring, Nigel McLennan states that mentoring is performer-centred, whereas coaching is performer-led (MacLennan, 1995). Formerly used in sport, at the individual level and then in corporate settings to enhance performance, today coaching and mentoring are becoming increasingly common in higher education as well, as they enable a personalised learning pathway (Nuis et al., 2023).

Generation Z’s perception of learning and their expectations of teaching have changed significantly. Their needs have evolved to include the implementation of new technologies in classical teaching methods, thus enabling more effective and experiential learning (Chan and Lee, 2023). They are more eager to replace the previous hierarchical teaching method with a partnership approach, sharing experiences and knowledge through storytelling.

Taking into account the changing demands of learning and the new generational mindset, there is a need for space for honest, open communication, where they can express their thoughts and opinions without judgement and are supported by appropriate professionals to help them develop (Hunaiti, 2021). Coaching can help in this, as can implementing it into the curriculum.

A more conscious life planning gives the opportunity for the development or transformation of a more conscious and balanced society, the importance of which is already demonstrated by its increasingly important role beyond the ESG aspect.

There is also the IDG (Inner Development Goals) initiative, which identifies sustainability with human sustainability, i.e., everything starts with the individual, his or her mindset, values and responses to environmental impacts. IDG, Inner Development Goals, are personal development goals that focus on the inner world, emotional and mental well-being of individuals. They may include self-acceptance, self-awareness, empathy and the development of personal values. For young people of Generation Z or Alpha, Inner Development Goals can play an extremely important role in the development of personal identity and well-being. Generation Z, the digital natives, often use online platforms for emotional expression and self-expression while searching for inner balance and self-identity. The Alpha generation, characterised by the ubiquity of technology, also needs the tools and opportunities offered by the Inner Development Goals for personal development. For both generations, understanding and unfolding their own inner world is key to their ability to cope with the challenges and opportunities of the modern world⁷ (Birney, 2023).

In the education and culture sector, the interest and commitment of new generations to social issues has triggered new initiatives and innovations. More and more educational institutions and cultural organisations are developing programmes and initiatives on sustainability, social justice and equality to support the values and engagement of new generations⁸ (UNESCO and International Commission on the Futures of Education, 2021).

However, there is also a need to innovate educational methods, as the technology-driven and surrounded reality of the new generations is now more inclined towards AI-driven and experiential education. Recognising this could bring radical changes in education, new programme elements or even a new structure to ensure relevance, practical teaching and credibility of education (Neumann et al., 2023).

All in all, the societal shaping effect of the new generations and the growing demand for innovative solutions is affecting all sectors. Thus, in education, too, there is a need to develop solutions and programmes that are different from the usual ones and adapted to the needs of these generations (McLoughlin and Lee, 2010). Companies and organisations that can recognise, adapt and respond to the values and needs of these generations can gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. And companies that are involved in developing these approaches will not only gain a market advantage and significant profits, but will also play a responsible role in shaping our society, whether locally or globally.

Australian social scientist McCrindle has been studying the different generations for some time, with separate studies and infographics on both Generation Z and Generation Alpha. It is important to stress, however, that generational patterns and characteristics, as well as research, are best studied and interpreted at the local level (McCrindle and Fell, 2019).

According to McCrindle’s research, Z-s make up 23% of the total population. The three most important factors for them when choosing a job are (1) Accessible and approachable leadership, (2) Opportunities for learning and development, and (3) Career development opportunities (McCrindle, 2024).

Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace shared some insights from their book “Generation Z Goes to College” (Seemiller and Grace, 2017) on how the current cohort of traditional-age students love to learn, engage and serve. This generation is a click away from the latest information, a click away from any experience. They are the ones who were already aware of 9/11, experienced through their parents the Great Depression, Covid-19, total isolation, being in the online world, and then again the experiential reality of face-to-face contact. They have also been hit by so many stimuli in this youthful period that it is difficult to find them, to figure them out and place them on their self-image. In addition, they believe they have the power to change the world, expecting education to provide them with skills and knowledge they can use immediately and apply in real life (Tan et al., 2023).

There are many good examples of practical applications at international level (Nisreen et al., 2023).

After researching online, we would highlight 5 European universities that offer bachelor’s degree courses that have already integrated coaching into the curriculum (Fütterer et al., 2023).

In Belgium, coaching and mentoring programmes are already part of the curriculum in a significant part of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) undergraduate courses. The courses offered by the VUB aim to support students’ personal and professional development through the use of coaching techniques.⁹

In the Netherlands, at the University of Amsterdam, several undergraduate courses are taught entirely in English, where coaching plays an important role. The university offers 21 different English-language bachelor programmes, including some that develop students’ personal development and leadership skills through coaching methods.¹⁰

Also in the Netherlands, Leiden University and Maastricht University have a number of bachelor courses on how to integrate coaching into the curriculum.^{11 12}

Last but not least, in Sweden, Lund University, as part of several undergraduate courses, is also introducing coaching as a technique and method for developing leadership and personal skills.¹³

These universities are good examples of how coaching can be effectively integrated into the undergraduate curriculum, supporting students’ personal and professional development.

Looking beyond Europe, the University of Tokyo provides coaching opportunities for students in the curriculum and the National University of Singapore has a dedicated Health & Wellbeing area, where coaching is a major focus for personal wellbeing and conscious life planning.¹⁴

A solution to this can be found by setting up talent programmes for young people at course level in higher education, so that everyone can benefit equally and make use of the knowledge and experience that is most relevant to them. In this way, a personalised solution can also emerge, as there is a framework within which progress and change is individual and varies from person to person. The greatest strength can be in building community, as by supporting each other, seeing each other’s development and change, each person can be encouraged to take their own steps, while receiving ongoing support from a coach and mentor (Lynden et al., 2024).

Decision-makers in higher education should think and decide strategically on this issue, because it is not just an element in the university ecosystem, but a pillar on which to build¹⁵ (Leal Filho et al., 2023).

Higher education actors can work together with NGOs and businesses to develop programmes that bring educational content to new generations from secondary school level. Through regular lectures and festival-style events, they can listen to and discuss topics such as more conscious life planning, self-awareness, how deepening self-awareness can help them to find their career path, their own way, and to develop their personal life.

If such a programme could become part of the curriculum, then it could truly fulfil its transformative nature and the new generation in their early 20s could embark on life in the big letters with a much more conscious vision.

As part of a primary research project, we carried out a quantitative survey among the domestic Generation Z. The online survey resulted in 202 evaluable questionnaires. The sample consisted of 40% male and 60% female respondents, all of whom were members of Generation Z. 37% live in the capital, 41% in cities and only 22% in villages. 37% currently have a secondary education, the rest are still in secondary education.

Among the sampling procedures, the homogeneous snowball sampling procedure was used. In the snowball sampling, the primary population—the snowball sample seeds—were the students of generation Z of Óbuda University by age, and their inclusion was used to further expand the number of subjects included in the sample. Within the snowball procedure, we used homogeneous snowball sampling, which aimed at recruiting participants with similar characteristics and life experiences into the sample. Considering the characteristics of Generation Z, we decided to use this sampling technique to take into account generation-specific characteristics in the sampling process, including the seed-assisted procedure, in order to expand the sample by exploiting the own network of Generation Z subjects. In line with the snowball sampling, we asked the ‘seeds’ to share the survey link with their friends, in a way that could be shared on social media.

The research tool was a pre-tested, standardised questionnaire, which covered the topics of perception and practice of conscious living, analysis of individual life goals and value orientation. The questionnaire typically used closed questions, with three open questions in the form of free association. Among the closed questions, both nominal (single- and multiple-choice selective, ranking questions) and metric level questions (Likert and semantic differential scales) were used.

Scaling questions were asked on a scale of 1 to 4. One reason for this is the individual scale preference of Hungarian respondents: due to the school grading system, our Hungarian respondents are most stable in interpreting a scale of up to five grades as opposed to scales of 1–7, 1–9 or 1–10. The even scale was chosen because the middle value (3) for the odd (1–5) scale is an escape route for respondents and the presence and possible overrepresentation of “indifferent” consumers choosing the middle value complicates the segmentation process from both a statistical and a professional point of view. Therefore, we opted for an even scale, which, by excluding the middle value, leads the respondent to take a more rigorous stance, thus contributing more to the successful conduct of the segmentation (Malhotra and Simon, 2017.)

The research hypotheses and the research tool were finalised as a result of both the inference from secondary sources and the pre-study we used. The pre-research involved qualitative individual interviews using a semi-structured interview schedule. A total of 20 interviews were conducted, with Generation Z subjects selected arbitrarily. The results were evaluated using a traditional content analysis method and used to finalise the conceptual design of the quantitative research.

Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to process the quantitative results and test the hypotheses using SPSS 26.0 software. To examine the correlation between the results measured on the metric scale, the analysis of variance method was used, including the one-way ANOVA method for comparing multiple sample means. The mean of a metric dependent variable was compared between more than two groups. The post-hoc test was used to determine which pairs of groups were significantly different. In doing so, significance values were used to determine the existence of correlations (sig < = 0.05). Internal correlations were analysed along the comparison of group means using the F-statistic, i.e., the coefficient of variance of the means within samples¹⁶ (Leal Filho et al., 2023).

For the correlation tests described in this study, where the significance value according to the ANOVA table was below 0.05, the statistical relationship between the two variables was confirmed (Sajtos and Mitev, 2007).

One of the limitations of the research is the sample size and the single-generation focus of the research. In this respect, the results cannot be extended to a single population and some segmentation procedures (K-means) are not applicable due to the sample size.

As a continuation of the research, we plan to expand the sample size and include additional generations in the sample to conduct comparative analyses. In addition, in order to analyse the discrepancies that emerge during this phase of the research in a more sophisticated way, a qualitative procedure will be conducted in the form of individual interviews as a post-research phase.