At the intersection of adult education and social gerontology, and propelled by the ageing phenomenon, educational gerontology has a critical place in the study of older adult education. To contend with older learners' needs, professional adult educators require an enhanced preparation, and concomitance to a reinvigoration of current adult learning programs to include the constructs of educational gerontology and the geragogical imperative. Through survey and interviews, this research investigated evidence of, and the capacity for, Australian Adult Education programs and Ageing Research centres to meet this requirement. Results of this case study indicate a paucity of evidence of educational gerontology in adult education programs, coupled with significant potential for capacity development in this field through collaboration with Ageing Research initiatives. The findings suggest an expansion of current curriculum in adult education programs to include aspects of educational gerontology, professional development of Adult Education academics in the specialized area of educational gerontology, and broader adult education engagement with external stakeholders and the ageing research community as a contribution to social betterment.

The intent of this thesis was to better understand the educative role of group exercise instructors, and how this role is approached when working with older exercisers. Data were collected using textual analysis, observations of instructors’ teachings in group exercise classes, semi-structured interviews with instructors and older exercisers, and go-alongs with older exercisers. This thesis is comprised of four papers (three journal articles and one book chapter). The first paper reports findings from a scoping review and elucidates that the educative role of exercise instructors is vital but under researched. Paper 2, a book chapter, reports findings from a qualitative content analysis of eight curricula used to train and certify fitness instructors in Canada and the United States. This paper proposes strategically employing compassionate ageism to meet older exercisers’ needs without (re)producing social inequalities in response to finding that the curricula conceive the older body as different from the healthy, supposedly ideal standard. Paper 3, an Institutional Ethnography, provides evidence for some of the ways employers and the aforementioned curricula influence how instructors teach. Paper 3 reports that multi-level teaching may not be enough to foster inclusivity, thus suggesting a greater need for stratification by ability rather than age. Additionally, findings outline some ableist teaching practices, which some instructors resisted by drawing on their competence to employ teaching methods respecting exercisers’ agency. Finally, Paper 4 introduces a substantive, grounded theory of age capital, which builds on Bourdieu’s theorizations of cultural capital, as well as Mauss’ habitus and body techniques. Age capital is defined as possessing a gerontological embodied competence, or cognitive and embodied knowledge of the socio-cultural practices throughout one’s life course. Collectively, this thesis provides several recommendations for teaching group exercise in a manner that fosters more inclusive classes for older adults. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The key goals of this research were to understand how fitness instructors’ training might influence how instructors teach in their group exercise classes, learn how and what fitness instructors teach, and identify how instructors’ teaching is (or should be) different with older exercisers. I found that fitness instructors are important to group exercise classes, as they bring people together and teach people how to exercise safely. It is also especially important that instructors have special training to work with older people, but there is a lack of consistency in the training of exercise instructors and instructors received mixed messages about ageism in their training. This could reinforce the idea that older persons lose abilities as they age and result in a one-size fits all way of teaching that fails to include older exercisers’ diverse abilities. This research suggests ways instructors can be better trained to relate to older exercisers.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:44:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3961.pdf: 2047552 bytes, checksum: 5a3f07b680eec028e1a5fcad9e47d512 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-30 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The education in the old age is intended to promote the acquisition of knowledge that determines the resizing for the fomentation of the quality of life (QoL) from the assumptions of interdisciplinarity, social participation and health promotion. With the objective of evaluating the effects of the University of the Third Age (UTA) from the Fundação Educacional São Carlos (FESC) on the QoL of the participants prior to and after the intervention and one year after their conclusion, we interviewed 56 elderly, divided in groups, thus denominated: (a) Group of students from the UTA-2008 (GA2008): graduating of Module 1 from UTA in 2008, who chose to continue in the program in 2009 even after the end of the mandatory module (Module 1); (b) Group of former students from UTA-2008 (Gex-A2008): graduates of Module 1 from UTA in 2008 that opted not to continue in the program in 2009 after the conclusion of the mandatory module; (c) Group of students from UTA-2009 (GA2009): graduates of Module 1 from UTA in 2009. The instruments for the data collection were: Elderly Characterization Form, Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria, Measure of Quality of Life (QdVDA), Scale to Measure the Satisfaction with the Life and Scale of the Positive and Negative Mood (EAPN). All the obtained data were entered into a database in the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 13.0, to perform non-parametric statistical analysis. The results showed that: (a) The profile of the researched students from UTA points to a young elderly (M = 68,04 years, DP = 5,78, xmin = 60, xmax = 84), of the female sex (91,1%, n = 51), with a high level of education (30,4% had a bachelor s degree, n = 17) and high social-economic levels (50,0% in level B, n = 28); (b) There is a difference between the total scores on the QoL of the elderly students from UTA before and after the intervention (in the beginning and conclusion of the school year) and this difference is a positive one (Z = -4,541, p < 0,001); (c) There is no difference among the total scores of QoL of the elderly students from UTA in the second year of intervention (follow-up), the total scores remain (Z = -1,477, p = 0,140); (d) There is a difference between the total scores of QoL of the elderly students from UTA who did not attend the program for a year (follow-up) and this difference is a negative one (Z = -2,810, p 0,055); (d) There is a relationship between the perceived changes in the QoL and the socio-demographics characteristics of the students from UTA; (e) There is relationship among the socio-demographics, schooling variables and socio-economic level and the perceptions of QoL, satisfaction with life and moods (positive or negative) of the participants. Since the results pointed that the participation in the UTA program is favorable to the perceptions of the QoL, in terms of improvement or maintenance, we advocate in favor of this type of intervention. Therefore, is necessary that educational programs include the elderly, because the education can be an important source of support to facing another phase of the life cycle. / A educação na velhice tem como finalidade promover a aquisição de conhecimentos que determinam redimensionamentos para o fomento da qualidade de vida (QV) a partir de pressupostos de interdisciplinaridade, participação social e promoção da saúde. Com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da Universidade Aberta à Terceira Idade (UATI) da Fundação Educacional São Carlos (FESC) na QV dos participantes antes e após a intervenção e um ano após seu término, entrevistamos 56 idosos divididos em grupos, assim denominados: (a) Grupo de alunos da UATI-2008 (GA2008): formandos do Módulo 1 da UATI em 2008 que optaram por continuar no programa em 2009 mesmo após o término do módulo obrigatório (Módulo 1); (b) Grupo de ex-alunos da UATI- 2008 (Gex-A2008): formandos do Módulo 1 da UATI em 2008 que não continuaram no programa em 2009; (c) Grupo de alunos da UATI-2009 (GA2009): formandos do Módulo 1 da UATI em 2009. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados foram: Ficha de Caracterização do Idoso, Critério de Classificação Econômica Brasil, Escala de Qualidade de Vida (QdV-DA), Escala para Medida de Satisfação com a Vida e Escala de Ânimo Positivo e Negativo (EAPN). Todos os dados obtidos foram digitados em um banco no programa Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS), versão 13.0, para realização de análises estatísticas não-paramétricas. Os resultados mostraram que: (a) O perfil do aluno da UATI pesquisada aponta para um idoso jovem (M = 68,04 anos, DP = 5,78, xmín = 60, xmáx = 84), do sexo feminino (91,1%, n = 51), com nível de escolaridade alto (30,4% com nível superior, n = 17) e nível socioeconômico favorecido (50,0% no nível B, n = 28); (b) Existe diferença positiva entre os escores totais de QV de idosos alunos da UATI antes e após a intervenção (no início e término do ano letivo) (Z = - 4,541, p < 0,001); (c) Não existe diferença entre os escores totais de QV de idosos alunos da UATI entre o final do primeiro e do segundo ano de intervenção (follow-up) (Z = -1,477, p = 0,140); (d) Existe diferença negativa entre os escores totais de QV de idosos ex-alunos da UATI que não frequentaram o programa no segundo ano de intervenção (follow-up) (Z = -2,810, p 0,055); (d) Existe relação entre as alterações percebidas na QV e características sócio-demográficas dos alunos da UATI; (e) Existe relação entre as variáveis sócio-demográficas, escolaridade e nível socioeconômico e as percepções de QV, satisfação com a vida e ânimos (positivos ou negativos) dos participantes. Uma vez que os resultados apontaram que a participação no programa UATI é favorável às percepções de QV, em termos de melhoria ou manutenção, advogamos a favor deste tipo de intervenção. Assim, é preciso que os programas educacionais incluam os idosos, pois a educação pode ser uma importante fonte de apoio para o enfrentamento de mais uma etapa do ciclo vital.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T20:22:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vania Ramos.pdf: 2252683 bytes, checksum: d64a3977a0e69b9444f228db5cbdc3df (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This thesis focuses primarily on the following items: different visions on aging, an analysis of the historical path of the so called open universities of the Third Age (U3A) in order to bring them into the context of the universities located in the city of São Paulo; a qualitative research was developed, based on an analytical study on two distinctive projects for universities for the elderly in the city of São Paulo (the Open University of the third age of USP Universidade de São Paulo and the University for the elderly of PUC / SP Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo), applying questionnaires and personal interviews with some students from these universities. The next chapter develops an analysis based on these students answers and statements. Finally, the discovery of a new form of ageing, a lifestyle for the elderly that we envision as innovative / O percurso do olhar atento deste trabalho passará pelas seguintes etapas: diferentes visões do envelhecimento; análise da trajetória histórica das universidades da terceira idade visando contextualizá-las no ambiente das universidades paulistanas; elaboramos uma pesquisa qualitativa, através de um estudo descritivo-analítico dos projetos de duas Universidades abertas à Terceira Idade da cidade de São Paulo, (Universidade aberta `a Terceira Idade da USP e a Universidade aberta `a Maturidade da PUC/SP), através da aplicação de questionários e entrevistas feitas com alunos das universidades citadas, desenvolvendo uma análise do discurso destes estudantes em relação aos diferentes tipos de sociabilidade encontrados nestes espaços escolares e, finalmente, na conclusão, descobrimos uma nova forma de envelhecer, um modo de vida que enxergamos como inovador

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:56:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vania Ramos.pdf: 2252683 bytes, checksum: d64a3977a0e69b9444f228db5cbdc3df (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This thesis focuses primarily on the following items: different visions on aging, an analysis of the historical path of the so called open universities of the Third Age (U3A) in order to bring them into the context of the universities located in the city of São Paulo; a qualitative research was developed, based on an analytical study on two distinctive projects for universities for the elderly in the city of São Paulo (the Open University of the third age of USP Universidade de São Paulo and the University for the elderly of PUC / SP Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo), applying questionnaires and personal interviews with some students from these universities. The next chapter develops an analysis based on these students answers and statements. Finally, the discovery of a new form of ageing, a lifestyle for the elderly that we envision as innovative / O percurso do olhar atento deste trabalho passará pelas seguintes etapas: diferentes visões do envelhecimento; análise da trajetória histórica das universidades da terceira idade visando contextualizá-las no ambiente das universidades paulistanas; elaboramos uma pesquisa qualitativa, através de um estudo descritivo-analítico dos projetos de duas Universidades abertas à Terceira Idade da cidade de São Paulo, (Universidade aberta `a Terceira Idade da USP e a Universidade aberta `a Maturidade da PUC/SP), através da aplicação de questionários e entrevistas feitas com alunos das universidades citadas, desenvolvendo uma análise do discurso destes estudantes em relação aos diferentes tipos de sociabilidade encontrados nestes espaços escolares e, finalmente, na conclusão, descobrimos uma nova forma de envelhecer, um modo de vida que enxergamos como inovador

Text in German, summaries in English and German / Alter und Altern gilt in Deutschland derzeit als eines der wichtigsten Zukunftsfelder wissenschaftlicher Forschung. Dabei liegt ein besonderes Augenmerk auf der nachberuflichen Lebensphase, dem so genannten dritten Lebensalter. Eine Gesellschaft des um 20-30 Jahre verlängerten Lebens bei meist guter Gesundheit ist kulturgeschichtlich ein neues Phänomen für das es keine Vorbilder gibt, so dass der jetzigen Generation der „jungen Alten“ eine gestalterische Aufgabe für sich und die Nachfolgegenerationen zukommt. Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit dem Thema Altern zunächst aus humanistischer und daran anschließend aus biblisch-theologischer Sicht. Diese beiden Kapitel enthalten grundlegende Aussagen zum Thema Altern aus unterschiedlichen Disziplinen und beziehen diese, wo möglich, aufeinander. Sie bilden die Grundlage und Voraussetzung für das Folgekapitel, in dem Bedeutung, Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von Biografiearbeit als praktisch-theologisches Bildungsangebot in der pastoralen Begleitung von Menschen in der nachberuflichen Lebensphase untersucht werden. Dabei wird offensichtlich, dass sowohl gerontologische Literatur als auch biblische Texte Biografiearbeit an einschneidenden Wendepunkten des Lebens als eine wichtige Voraussetzung für gelingendes Leben darstellen. Der Person und der Professionalität der Anleiterin kommen in dem Prozess biografischer Selbstreflexion mit älteren Menschen eine tragende Rolle zu. / Old age and the process of aging is currently one of the most important fields for future scientific study and research. Special focus is centered on the post-career phase. A society where life is prolonged for an extra 20 to 30 years, most of which are spent in reasonably good health, is culturally speaking a recent phenomenon for which there are no historical models. It follows, that the current generation bears a great responsibility in shaping and moulding this stage in their lives not only for themselves but also for future generations. This dissertation concentrates on the theme of aging, first from a humanistic point of view, and secondly by focusing on biblical and theological aspects. Both of these chapters contain fundamental and important statements regarding the subject of aging as seen from different disciplines, and, wherever possible, with reference to each other. They build the basis and prerequisite for the following chapter in which the significance and possibilities as well as the limits of biography work is researched in view of pastoral care and training for elderly people in the post employment phase of their life. It becomes obvious, that not only gerontological literature but also biblical texts depict biographical work as an important prerequisite for a life experienced as being successful, especially at drastic turning points in life. A vital part in biographical reflection with elderly people is played by the person and professionalism of the instructor. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)