Putting Educational Gerontology Principles to the Test: A Quantitative Confirmation of the Empowering Benefits of Liberal Arts Courses

Autor/inn/en	Hachem, Hany; Manninen, Jyri
Titel	Putting Educational Gerontology Principles to the Test: A Quantitative Confirmation of the Empowering Benefits of Liberal Arts Courses
Quelle	In: Educational Gerontology, 46 (2020) 10, S.653-665 (13 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Hachem, Hany) ORCID (Manninen, Jyri)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0360-1277
DOI	10.1080/03601277.2020.1805179
Schlagwörter	Educational Gerontology; Educational Principles; Liberal Arts; Adult Learning; Older Adults; Student Empowerment; Adult Students; Gender Differences; Educational Attainment; Lifelong Learning; Age Differences; Foreign Countries; Personal Autonomy; Citizen Participation; Interpersonal Relationship; Spain; United Kingdom (England); Germany; Switzerland; Italy; Finland; Czech Republic; Slovenia; Romania; Serbia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Geragogics; Geragogik; Bildungsprinzip; Adulte education; Adult training; Erwachsenenbildung; Älterer Erwachsener; Studienberechtigung; Adult; Adults; Student; Students; Erwachsenenalter; Studentin; Schüler; Schülerin; Geschlechterkonflikt; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Life-long learning; Lebenslanges Lernen; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Ausland; Individuelle Autonomie; 'Citizen participation; Citizens'' participation'; Bürgerbeteiligung; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Spanien; Deutschland; Schweiz; Italien; Finnland; Tschechische Republik; Slowenien; Rumänien; Serbien
Abstract	The humanist and critical principles of educational gerontology attribute different goals to education in later life. Self-Actualization is the goal of humanist educational gerontology, while empowerment, emancipation, and social change are the goals of critical educational gerontology. Liberal arts education is dominant in later-life learning. Both the humanist and the critical philosophies of learning in older age claim that this type of education is not empowering. Empowerment is a contested concept that has been defined through a set of constructs ranging from psychological capacities to attitudes and behaviors. In terms of capital, empowerment translates into gains in identity and social capital, operationalized in the variables "agency" and "social and civic participation," respectively. The present study investigated the empowering potential of liberal arts courses using the BeLL survey data of 7,338 adult learners. Through a series of ANOVAs and a regression model, we found that age, gender, educational attainment, the number of courses, and changes in agency are significantly associated with changes in social and civic participation. We concluded that liberal arts education does empower adult learners, especially older adults, women, and individuals with lower educational attainment. Given that goal-related claims in the principles of educational gerontology have been empirically challenged, we recommend a new statement of principles that takes into account the latest developments in the field, as well as learners' agential capacities and the structural inequalities they face. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01