Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T06:47:30.069Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Older people's university students in Spain: a comparison of motives and benefits between two models

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2010

FELICIANO VILLAR ,
SACRAMENTO PINAZO ,
CARME TRIADÓ ,
MONTSERRAT CELDRÁN  and
CARME SOLÉ
FELICIANO VILLAR*
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
SACRAMENTO PINAZO
Affiliation:
Department of Social Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
CARME TRIADÓ
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
MONTSERRAT CELDRÁN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University Rovira and Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
CARME SOLÉ
Affiliation:
University Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain.
*
Address for correspondence: Feliciano Villar, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 171, Barcelona 08035, Spain E-mail: fvillar@ub.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study examines both the motives for and the benefits of attending a university programme for older people (UPOP) in Spain, and how they vary with the type of UPOP. Two UPOP models were assessed: The ‘Older People's Classes’ of the University of Barcelona, which is organised as a lecture course, and the ‘University of Experience’ at the University of Valencia, which is a three- or four-year variant of regular university degrees. A sample of 321 older students (mean age 67.5 years) was gathered from the two UPOPs, 161 participants from the former and 157 from the latter. The findings suggest that expressive motives such as acquiring knowledge, expanding the mind or learning for the joy of learning were the most important reasons for joining a UPOP, and that among the perceived benefits from taking classes at university featured ‘gaining more friends’, ‘enhanced self or life-satisfaction’ and ‘joy in life’. Perceived benefits were particularly high among the less educated and the older students. While students participating in the Older People's Classes were older and included relatively more women, differences between the two models in motives and benefits did not exist or were slight. These results are discussed in the context of new strategies to improve university courses aimed at older students.

Keywords

older studentsthird age universitieseducational motivesbenefits of educationactive ageinglong life education
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 30 , Issue 8 , November 2010 , pp. 1357 - 1372
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alfageme, A. 2007. The clients and functions of Spanish university programmes for older people: a sociological analysis. Ageing & Society, 27, 3, 343–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boshier, R. W. 1991. Psychometric properties of the alternative form of the Educational Participation Scale. Adult Education Quarterly, 41, 3, 150–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brady, E. M. and Fowler, M. L. 1988. Participation motives and learning outcomes of older learners. Educational Gerontology, 14, 1, 45–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davey, J. 2002. Active ageing and education in mid and later life. Ageing & Society, 22, 1, 95–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fujita-Starck, P. 1996. Motivations and characteristics of adult students: factor stability and construct validity of the Educational Participation Scale. Adult Education Quarterly, 47, 1, 29–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinterlong, J. E., Morrow-Howell, N. and Rozario, P. A. 2007. Productive engagement and late life physical and mental health: findings from a nationally representative panel study. Research on Ageing, 29, 4, 348–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hori, S. and Cusack, S. 2006. Third-age education in Canada and Japan: attitudes toward aging and participation in learning. Educational Gerontology, 32, 6, 463–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, C. S. 2005. The development of a university for older adults in Taiwan: an interpretive perspective. Educational Gerontology, 31, 7, 503–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales 2009. Las personas mayores en España: informe 2008 [Older People in Spain: 2008 Report]. Ministerio de Sanidad y Política Social, Madrid.Google Scholar
Jamieson, A. 2007. Higher education study in later life: what is the point? Ageing & Society, 27, 3, 363–84.Google Scholar
Jarvis, P. and Walker, J. 1997. When the process becomes the product: summer universities for seniors. Education and Ageing, 12, 2, 60–8.Google Scholar
Kim, A. and Merriam, S. B. 2004. Motivations for learning among older adults in a learning in retirement institute. Educational Gerontology, 30, 6, 441–55.Google Scholar
Mehotra, C. M. 2003. In defense of offering educational programs for older adults. Educational Gerontology, 29, 8, 645–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montoro, J., Pinazo, S. and Tortosa, M. A. 2007. Motivaciones y expectativas de los estudiantes mayores de 55 años en los programas universitarios [Motivations and expectations of students aged over 55 in university programmes]. Revista de la Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología, 42, 3, 158–66.Google Scholar
Mulenga, D. and Liang, S. Jr 2008. Motivations for older adults' participation in distance education: a study at the National Open University of Taiwan. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 27, 3, 289–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orte, C., Ballester, L. and Touza, C. 2004. University programs for seniors in Spain: analysis and perspectives. Educational Gerontology, 30, 4, 315–28.Google Scholar
Principi, A. and Lemura, G. 2009. Education for older people in Italy. Educational Gerontology, 35, 3, 246–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scala, M. A. 1996. Going back to school: participation motives and experiences of older adults in an undergraduate classroom. Educational Gerontology, 22, 8, 747–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sidorenko, A. and Walker, A. 2004. The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing: from conception to implementation. Ageing & Society, 24, 2, 147–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swindell, R. 1993. U3A (the University of the Third Age) in Australia: a model for successful ageing. Ageing & Society, 13, 2, 245–66.Google Scholar
United Nations Organization 2002. Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002. United Nations Organization, New York. Available online at http://www.un-ngls.org/orf/pdf/MIPAA.pdf [Accessed 25 March 2009].Google Scholar
Villar, F. 2003. Personas mayores y ordenadores: valoración de una experiencia de formación [Older people and computers: assessment of a training course]. Revista Española de Geriatría y Gerontología, 38, 1, 86–94.Google Scholar
Withnall, A. 2006. Exploring influences on later life learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 25, 1, 29–49.Google Scholar
World Health Organization 2002. Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. World Health Organization, Geneva. Available online at http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_NPH_02.8.pdf [Accessed 25 March 2009].Google Scholar
Yenerall, J. D. 2003. Educating an aging society: the University of the Third Age in Finland. Educational Gerontology, 29, 8, 703–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar