Successful Aging as a Lifelong Process

Previous qualitative studies of lay perspectives explored older adults’ definitions and views of successful aging as a condition. This study aims at examining their perceptions of successful aging as a process. For this purpose, 207 individuals aged 65–92 years old were interviewed by students, who asked the participants for advice on how to achieve successful aging. Three principal themes were identified: (a) Investments at early stages are profitable; (b) preservation of early qualities contributes to well-being, and (c) internal resources are a key factor in the coping process. Each theme reflected a wide range of actions and attitudes perceived as useful by participants. Findings indicated that older adults consider successful aging a positive outcome of resources acquired and efforts invested throughout life, viewing it as a 3-phase, lifelong process that begins with early adulthood investments, continues through efforts to preserve continuity in spite of changes and losses, and concludes with various emotional coping strategies applied when counteraction is no longer viable.     

Benefits and dynamics of learning gained through volunteering: A qualitative exploration guided by seniors’ self-defined successful aging

ABSTRACT

Social participation is an important strategy in promoting successful aging. Although participating in volunteering has been proven to benefit older adults’ health and well-being, we often ignore its role as a process of learning while helping others. The purpose of this study was to use the self-defined successful aging concept of seniors to explore the roles of learning through volunteering in Taiwan, an Asian country with a dramatically fast growth of its older population. Using in-depth interviews of 31 older adults who fit the participation criteria, this study concluded that learning through volunteering, a form of informal learning, is a holistic approach to successful aging, including physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. Through the learning, volunteering benefited the volunteers’ self-defined successful aging by (a) establishing a substantial and expanding life, (b) building and improving relationships, (c) enhancing positive changes and self-evaluation, (d) promoting physical and psychological health, and (e) triggering treasures and preparations for the rest of life. The five dimensions can work alone but often interactively facilitate the seniors’ successful aging. These findings enrich the existing body of knowledge by revealing the dynamic between learning through volunteering and self-defined successful aging in Taiwan. Policy makers and practitioners might use these findings to popularize elder volunteerism and other forms of elder learning activities that will then better equip older adults to fulfill their desire for a successful old age.     

Senior fashion models’ perspectives on serious leisure and successful aging

ABSTRACT

Studies have revealed the positive impact of serious leisure among older adults. Serious leisure is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer core activity that is highly substantial, interesting, and fulfilling and where, in the typical case, participants find a career in acquiring and expressing a combination of special skills, knowledge, and experience. As serious leisure involves productive engagement and commitment, performing as a senior model reflects the serious leisure participation of older adults, which might offer a new insight into promoting healthy lifestyles. While many studies have been conducted in the context of leisure behavior of older adults, a study is yet to explore the behavior of senior fashion models. Given that serious leisure offers positive outcomes (e.g., personal growth, happiness) and demands substantial effort as and perseverance, the behavior of senior modeling can be understood using a serious leisure framework. The purpose of the study is to explore the behavior of older adults engaged in fashion modeling as a form of serious leisure. We conducted a series of face-to-face interviews with 31 participants. Interview questions focused on the participants’ perception as senior models and the meaning of being senior models. The ages of the participants ranged from 54 to 85 years (Mean age = 66.9). The constant comparison method was applied to continuously compare the views and experiences of the participants. Two central themes that shaped the participants’ senior fashion modeling experiences were identified: (1) the benefits of senior fashion modeling and (2) the costs of senior fashion modeling. Under each theme, several sub-categories were identified: confidence, stylish and ageless, friendships, painful training and investing effort, barriers associated with aging, and structural constraints. The findings obtained in this study highlight the important link between serious leisure and successful aging. Considering the benefits identified by the study participants, it is suggested that engaging in senior fashion modeling positively affects older adults’ quality of life.     

Third-Age Education in Canada and Japan: Attitudes Toward Aging and Participation in Learning

Lifelong learning is essential to participation in society, and presents important challenges for educational gerontology. This study compares Canadian and Japanese perspectives on (a) attitudes toward aging, (b) the learning needs of older adults, and (c) the role of centers of learning. Surveys were conducted of sample populations in two elder colleges in Japan (N = 419, 753; mean age 66.4,70.5) and two senior centers in Canada (N = 122; mean age 75.0). Results suggest Canadian respondents have more positive attitudes toward aging; Japanese respondents have greater needs for social/communicative learning; and Canadians have a greater need for traditional learning. Future implications for older-adult education and research are discussed.     

Critical educational gerontology at a senior center in Malta: possibilities and limitations for critical consciousness

ABSTRACT

One area that remained off the research radar is that interface between senior centers and learning programs, and hence, their potential to act as community-based learning hubs. Countering such a state of affairs, this article reports on an action research study to investigate the extent that a transformative learning program in a senior center can lead learners to improved levels of personal and social empowerment. The research project sought to meet its goal and objectives through the ‘action research’ design, by planning and executing a critical educational gerontological programme for persons attending a Maltese senior center. The learning program following a critical geragogical approach which encourages learners to discuss and problematize each theme in the curriculum. Pretest-posttest focus groups found the learning program to be successful in improving learners’ levels of personal empowerment as they acquired a strong awareness of how social differences are structurally produced due to inequities and discriminations based on social class, gender, and age differences. However, the quest achieving critical consciousness remained an elusive one due to immanence and internal agism, as well as the fact that political action arises as a lifetime narrative. Critical educational gerontology remains steadfastly hinged upon the ‘successful aging’ paradigm that overlooks how later life is also underpinned by ill-health, abjection, care relations, and loss of agency. It is hoped that this action research project acts as a catalyst for future studies in critical educational gerontology to be framed by a fourth age social imaginary.     

ASSESSING CHANGES IN ATTITUDES ABOUT AGING: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS AND A STANDARDIZED MEASURE

Research has shown that learning more about successful aging and the aging process can be reflected in positive attitudinal change. Further,individuals having frequent contact with older adults generally have more positive attitudes. The purpose of the present study was to assess attitudinal change in two gerontology courses, one sophomore and one senior-level, using two methods of measurement: a standardized measure, the Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) and self-reported beliefs about older adults. A secondary goal was to facilitate meaningful interaction by requiring students to conduct a structured life-history interview with an older adult. The sample consisted of 55 students with a mean age of 27. Students completed the ASD and the self-reports at the beginning of the semester and after completing their interviews. Students also were asked to reflect upon any changes in attitude over the time period between assessments. In both classes, results of repeated measures MANOVA on the ASD indicated significant positive attitudinal change from pretest to posttest. Content analysis of self-reported beliefs provided converging validation. While students indicated classroom activities as important for attitudinal development, many specifically cited the interview activity as an influential and valuable experience.     

Senior Centers and Policy Advocacy: Changing Public Perceptions

As critical components of the aging continuum of care, senior centers promote older adult health and well-being by providing opportunities for recreation, socialization, nutrition, health education, and access to vital social services. Nationally, a vast network of 11,000 senior centers serves over four million older adults annually. As the United States population ages rapidly, public funding, which is the primary source of support for a majority of senior center services, has remained stagnant. If senior centers are to continue to effectively serve older adults and meet their comprehensive needs, they need to demonstrate their relevance to the community and advocate for increased funding support. This paper explores the policy concerns of senior center administrators, investigates their efforts to influence public policy, illustrates advocacy techniques currently utilized by them, and highlights the learning needs of administrators in this regard. Practice implications for senior centers, their constituents, and gerontological education are provided.     

A distinctive theory of teaching and learning for older learners: why and why not?

In the wake of the world’s fast-growing ageing populations and the increasing recognition of the benefits of later life learning towards successful ageing, opportunities for elders and senior persons to engage in learning have proliferated, resulting in an array of programmes and activities being planned and organized by governments, universities, schools, non-government organizations and even hospices in many parts of the world, particularly in developed regions and economies where the opportunities and challenges brought forth by an ageing populace are more pronounced. Amidst the rising importance of elder learning and the increasing provision of learning opportunities for older adults, attention is drawn to the differences in the teaching and learning of this particular group of learners, who are experiencing significant social and psychological transitions in addition to personal changes in senior adulthood. Yet, does the mere fact that they are different from other learners, such as children and younger adults, merit a distinctive theory of teaching and learning for this unique group of older learners? The aim of this paper is to present arguments for and against such a proposition on the grounds of pedagogical principles, needs and motivations as well as difficulties and barriers, pertinent to the learning and teaching of older learners as they advance into a later stage of the lifecycle. Also, suggestions are offered regarding the approach, methods and strategies to be used for the facilitation of learning and the planning and organization of learning opportunities, be they formal, non-formal, or informal, which are appropriate for older learners.     

Exercising older people´s brains in Costa Rica: Design principles for using information and communication technologies for cognitive activity and social interaction

This study is part of a design-based research project aimed at designing a learning intervention for enabling Costa Rican older people to use information and communication technologies for cognitive activity and social interaction. Data from relevant literature, a focus group with older adults, and interviews with professionals teaching older adults how to use information and communication technologies were analyzed, in order to create context-sensitive design principles that could guide the design of learning interventions that meet the needs of older learners. The analysis derived context-sensitive design principles that include wider topics that influence the learning process, such as emotions and stereotypes related to learning about and using information and communication technologies, as well as the social support to that learning. The resulting eight design principles argue for respectful learning environments, in-depth comprehension of changes related to aging, time and space to reflect on emotions related to the learning process, and acknowledgment of participants’ individuality.     

CHANGING STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF AGING: THE IMPACT OF AN INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE LEARNING COURSE

Ten individuals over the age of 55 were awarded scholarships in order to enroll in an intergenerational service learning course. Through class participation and community service activities, the traditional-age students and senior adult students shared experiences and learned about the processes of aging. A pretest-posttest design using a control group and experimental group (N = 44) was employed in order to assess the effectiveness of this pedagogical method. The results, both quantitative and qualitative, indicate that the course helped to create more realistic views of aging and foster more positive attitudes toward the elderly. Implications of the findings are discussed and include a recommendation for additional intergenerational programs that include senior adults in the classroom.     

Active learning for active ageing: Chinese senior immigrants’ lifelong learning in Canada

This paper explores the intersection between migration, aging and lifelong learning with the aim of expanding our understanding of how lifelong learning enhances older migrants’ active aging in a foreign land. Our study also offers insights into the learning activities of older immigrants in general. In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a conceptual framework of active aging, which has greatly influenced aging policies and seniors’ everyday practices. Yet, there is a paucity of research that explicates and fully integrates lifelong learning into active aging discourse, and focuses on senior immigrants’ lifelong learning in an aging society. Based on interviews, textual materials, and participatory observation in five Chinese seniors’ immigrant associations in Toronto, we explore how Chinese senior immigrants’ learning has been (re)shaped and practised through re-settling in Canadian society. Five categories of learning are explored, including a) learning language and computer skills, b) learning culture and history, c) learning civic engagement, d) learning leisure, and e) learning health. We argue that ‘active learning’ can be used as a dynamic conceptual framework that interacts with active aging theory, demonstrating how senior immigrants actively participate in the lifelong learning project for participation and integration in Canada. This paper provides insights to the understanding of culturally sensitive policy-making on integration, health, and lifelong learning of older immigrants in Canada and beyond.     

DARING TO GROW OLD: LESSONS IN HEALTHY AGING AND EMPOWERMENT

The capacity to achieve and retain control over one's own life—to make decisions about and exert power over one's situation—is strongly correlated with being healthy. For older persons, there is a real danger that professionals with good intentions will encroach on this control in the name of providing service. We examine the issues of power, control, decision making, and healthy aging from the perspective of educating health care providers. Particular attention is paid to how health care providers see their role in defining older adults as being at risk when they refuse service or take risks that providers define as unacceptable. We raise this issue of appropriate professional control and cite the literature on successful coping to argue for policies and practices that enhance personal autonomy and interdependence as effective vehicles for healthy aging. Lessons from primary health care are applied to healthy aging even in the face of diminished capacities.     

Senior technology exploration,learning, and acceptance (STELA) model: from exploration to use – a longitudinal randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine the process from technology exploration to acceptance for older adults. A senior technology exploration, learning, and acceptance (STELA) model is proposed to examine the technology exploration and learning process. Adopting a new technology can pose challenges with increasing age. In order to help older adults use new technologies so they can be included in many important resources and support that are routinely accessed online, it is essential to understand factors affecting their technology adoption, and what the learning and adoption processes are like. This study employs four waves of data from a randomized controlled trial computer training intervention with 195 older adults (65 and older) in 19 different assisted and independent living communities (AICs). The results show the moderating effect of technology training and support for the relationship of exploring a technology and perceived difficulties of learning. These results suggest that training programs that are specially designed for older adults and continued support are needed to help older adults explore technologies and facilitate their learning process.     

MAKING AGING "REAL" FOR UNDERGRADUATES

While there is ample evidence that introductory aging courses can enhance students' appreciation of older adults and aging issues, few studies report the impact of such courses on students' view of their own aging. We developed a one-credit, undergraduate course, "Introduction to Aging," to sensitize students to the aging experience, the diversity of the aging population, and the value of intergenerational communication. To achieve these goals, the curriculum was developed and taught using transformational learning methods that emphasize attitude and belief changes through self-reflection. This article shares the responses of students to an experiential, web-based exercise "Calculating Your Life Expectancy" that was assigned to "situate" students in the aging process. Our findings demonstrate that this exercise is an excellent transformational learning tool to stimulate student thinking and discussion of their own aging.     

Success despite specific learning disabilities

Abstract

Proactive coping is known to be a key resource for life success by adults who have specific learning disabilities. This paper describes two programs that were trialled as part of doctoral research. These were a coping program and a teacher feedback intervention designed to increase proactive coping for adolescent students with specific learning disabilities. The coping program focused on use of proactive coping strategies, optimistic thinking and assertiveness, and was designed according to best practice for access by students who have specific learning disabilities. The teacher feedback intervention involved teacher feedback to individual students that focused on expectation of use of effort, and strategy in preference to negative rumination on poor ability.     

From learners to volunteers: A qualitative study of retirees’ transformative learning in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

In Taiwan, older adults over the age of 65 made up 12.51% of the population in 2015, causing the government to promote older adult education to help achieve active aging. As a result, more elderly people have attended learning activities and applied new skills to volunteering. The researcher conducted focus group interviews with 93 older adults from 13 service learning groups to illuminate this process of transforming from learner to volunteer. The findings are as follows. (a) The retirees and empty-nesters undergo discovery during the learning process in order to become learners. (b) These learners then become volunteers through the support from teachers and key persons, through the desire to share learning outcomes, and through answering the call to serve others. (c) The transformative learning rewarded the older adults with improved physical, spiritual, and mental health, as well as gratitude and a new sense of meaning in life.     

Ageing,loss, and learning: Hong Kong and Australian seniors

In this article, the discussion of loss and its relationship to learning is based on the analysis of interview data from 39 older adults in Hong Kong and 40 in Australia. The focus of the research was on ageing and learning. The phenomenon of life changes, specifically losses, and their relationship to learning was frequently mentioned, and this theme is described here. Three different kinds of loss were identified in the data as motivators for organized or nonorganized learning or for negatively affecting learning. These included loss of aspects of health, of job, or of partner. The results are potentially useful to policy makers and learning providers in encouraging older adults to engage in learning as one way of coping with loss.     

关于老年教育价值的再思考

新时期我国老年教育经历了规模扩张之后开始迈向提质发展的新阶段,重新审视老年教育的价值观、发掘传统老年教育实践中存在的关键问题,对于老年教育迈向高质量发展阶段有着不可忽视的作用。分析传统老年教育的价值观发现,老年教育实践中根植着功能主义哲学的思想,老年人通常被当作一种持续衰老的社会负担,为老年人提供的教育多集中于身心健康与休闲娱乐类的资源,目的在于帮助老年人对抗衰老、为社会缓解赡养负担。在经济社会飞速发展的今天,老年人比以往具备更长的寿命、更健康的身心状况与更重要的社会价值,需要重塑一种“发展性”的价值观念,将老年阶段看作融合学习、生活、工作、社会交往多维一体的新型混合生命周期,通过更新老年教育的发展理念、完善老年教育的治理体系、强化老年教育的社会支持等方式,引发全社会对老年教育价值的重视,保障老年群体的权益,关注老年群体的终身发展。