Student Major Choice as Decision-Making Processes Among Z Generation: Discourse Reopening and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

This research discovers a “digital-shift” in social life within the scientific research devoted to the major choice among students who belong to Generation Z, providing a systematic literature review and outlining the future research agenda. The study describes the existing models of student major choice in order to disclose these models within “Digital – Z-students” frame, distilling the significant Generation Z attributes affecting students’ decision-making processes. The study, based on the systematic literature review on the student major choice which relies on PRISMA method, provides suggestions for the conceptualization of the interrelation of the major choice determinants' influence and particular characteristics of Generation Z in the context of the digital transformation of the social life The paper examines widening of the social media communicational functions regarding the modern educational processes. The paper suggests recommendations on the prospective research avenues to provide a new discourse of the students’ major choice consideration and background for further estimation of the digitalization impact on Z-students’ behavioural intentions to choose a major. Finally, the study suggests an explanatory framework that is to consider the peculiarities of the modern students' major choice decision-making processes to provide the higher education sector with more comprehensive knowledge in order to match the needs of modern society.