LIFE SPAN EDUCATION AND THE OLDER ADULT: LIVING IS LEARNING

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Numerous papers have purported the need for life span education, yet few have examined the attitudes of older citizens toward lifelong learning. To determine why they were not attending a free audit program at the university and to ascertain their attitudes toward education for the elderly, 99 subjects aged 62 and older (M. = 74.6) were interviewed. The systematic sample chosen from membership lists of senior citizen groups yielded 34 men and 65 women. Interviews utilized a survey questionnaire. The analysis compared those who were and were not interested in the program. Results indicated that 68% (N = 65) of the subjects were not interested in attending university classes. The 32% (N = 31) who answered “yes” or “maybe” were significantly younger than those who were not interested; the two groups did not differ significantly on the other variables measured (sex, previous education, occupation, daily activities, attitude toward education for self and other older persons, etc.). Furthermore, only one subject actually enrolled in the university in the subsequent semester. The findings fail to support the thesis that “education begets education.” However, it should be noted that subjects indicated that “living is learning,” and while formal education is acceptable for the elderly, it is not necessary for learning.

This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit: