Are digital natives open to change? Examining flexible thinking and resistance to change

The goal of this study was to examine university students’ flexible thinking and resistance to change (as an opposite trait) according to their expertise in information and communication technology (ICT). An exploratory study was conducted, wherein an online questionnaire was administered to undergraduates (N = 679) from two higher education institutions. The findings show that undergraduates who are inclined to adapt to new learning situations are less likely to seek routine, react emotionally, and have short-term focus. The findings also indicated that technology proficient students are more likely to be flexible in thought and less inclined to resist change than those who are less technology savvy. Moreover, technology proficient students who prefer to learn in collaboration reported the highest inclination to think flexibly. This may indicate the importance of integrating collaborative technology as means for facilitating flexible thinking; thus preparing higher education students to a world of online communication and teamwork.