Education for Older Adults: an Exploratory Study

In many European countries, the last few decades have seen the emergence of a demographic phenomenon without precedence and of notable social impact: an overall ageing of the population. In Europe, current debate has shown that it is now no longer sufficient to focus on rights in old age with the focus having shifted to the rights of every citizen to quality of life in old age. Educational initiatives aimed at the over 65's form part of a group of strategies aimed at guaranteeing quality ageing and at providing these individuals with the means to exercise their rights as active citizens. The educational and training environment for the elderly is becoming progressively richer and diversified and the growing importance of this phenomenon is food for thought in pedagogical and didactic terms. In this respect, education is one of the central needs of this age group. These “new learners” in “new contexts” represent somewhat of a challenge to pedagogy that must now reconsider the educational opportunities open to elderly people. This work outlines an analysis of education initiatives aimed at the elderly. It examines the characteristics of the old aged learner, his/her “educability” and the foundations for an educational approach for this age group. These theoretical assumptions form the basis of this research: an exploratory study into various educational and training environments offered to the elderly. The analysed approaches suggest characteristics and means of understanding the multiple facets of the research subject, whilst the research findings allow us to understand certain aspects of the educational contexts which the elderly learner encounters, in order to delineate a didactic approach for old age. The elderly today find that they must deal with the demands of a continually changing society. Education must aim to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge that will allow them to adopt an active and participatory approach to this change and that guarantees the exercise of their citizen’s rights. An approach to education for the third age must encourage the development of all of the abilities and resources that allow the individual to actively participate as a citizen. It is very important to put into place the conditions that allow the elderly to fulfil important educational experiences that can lead both to personal growth, in term of the acquisition of knowledge and abilities and are opportunities for relationship building, communication and interaction with others, whether they are elderly, adult or young. Educational initiatives whilst they must have as their central focus the older learner, should attempt to cross over generational barriers, furthering to bridge the gap between old age and other life phases. The rights of the elderly can be guaranteed through an approach that involves these individuals both in the learning process and in shaping their learning contexts. It is very important to put into place the conditions that allow elderly people to engage in important learning experiences. How to guarantee citizens' rights through education, what are the most suitable, useful and efficient teaching and learning models, how to lay the foundations for a learning relationship with the elderly, how to use the educational experience to further inter-generational relationships, these are just a few questions that an educational approach for the older learner should try to address.