2006 volume 3 number 2

On the topic "Bildung of Elderly People"

This text gives a short overview of the articles on the topic "Bildung of Elderly People" (bildungsforschung, issue 2006 volume 3 number 2).

The elder Generation as a generation of mentors – intergenerational learning and intergenerational engagement

Julia Franz

This Article deals with the difference between intergenerational learning and intergenerational engagement. Against the background of demographic changes intergenerational learning and engagement will be reflected and differentiated. Projects about intergenerational learning try to enable a variety of possibilities to exchange experiences while projects about intergenerational engagement try to use the “wasted” potential of the elders.

Studying German of older repatriates as participants of integrations courses

Andrea Heinze, Martin Schön & Sandra Schaffert

This article focuses on the special features of studying German of repatriates (immigrants of german ethnic origin coming from eastern Europe) between 50 and 65 years as participants of German or intergration courses. For this, results of research are presented, legal arrangements and practice of the intergrations courses are described, and own empirical data are reported: portraits of older participants and their subjective assumptions, an interview with a teacher of german language about special features of older participants, and analyses of the data of participants of the last years. As a result, the considerations of the attribute „age“ are neglitable, in particular in comparison with the educational level and motivation.

Educational opportunities for older individuals

Franz Kolland

In light of demographic changes and the predominance of a knowledge-based society education in higher age increasingly becomes the central topic within lifelong learning. Following an overview of theoretical concepts, an empirical study conducted in Austria will be the starting point for elaborating on the concept further as seen from the perspective of those actively practicing in the field of late-life education. Furthermore, based on the aforementioned study educational opportunities for older individuals shall be discussed in connection with institutions providing such services. Both, experts and course instructors who actively provide education to older individuals were interviewed in the context of the study. One of the central findings was a multitude of offers and providing institutions, however against a limited scope of distribution. With late-life education the course instructors generally associated custodial, as well as aspects of knowledge transfer and practical daily skills.

The contributon of prevention for health in old age - perspectice for adult education

Andreas Kruse

After presenting a multidisicplinary definition of ageing this contribution focusses on the significant contributon of educational programmes to prevention. The WHO’s health model – which is interpreting the individual’s activities as a key element of health – serves as a starting point for delineating the demands of prevention for old age and in old age These demands are specified and empirically based. Finally the contribution explains the model of compression of morbidity which shows that there exist preventive potentials during the whole life span.

Lifelong Learning (even) in later Life? – Selfdirected Learning, technical Skills concerning new Media and Access to Information- and Communication Technology in Seniors’s Education at University Level

The text starts with some definitions and classifications within the field of age- and ageing processes-research and some aspects about the influence of age on learning and cognitive capability. Do older adults change their attitudes toward learning? Lifelong learning is seen not only as a medium to get higher (vocational) qualifications but as a life-accompanying task. At first are linked theoretically de-veloped concepts of life-long learning and self-directed learning of older adults and their access to in-formation- and communication technology and then presented and described by an example of a pro-gram of continuing education for older adults in media-orientated learning environment.

Learning and Bildung among old aged people in the internet: a qualitative-empirical analysis

Projektgruppe Bildung im Internet

Recently the cyberspace has been conquered by old aged people. Based on a qualitative analysis (documentary interpretation) of nine narrative interviews this article investigates how older people get access to the internet and learn its techniques. In the life-stories of the old persons instrumentalist attitudes toward the internet are empirically compared to processes of Bildung in which the life-orientations are transformed.

Bildung of Elderly Peaople with New Media: between Media-Competency, ICT-Literacy and Generation-specific Media Practice Culture

Burkhard Schäffer

In front of the background of the demographical change and the IT-related revolution this article shows quantitative and qualitative empirical results for media use and media action of elder persons. Age and generation affiliation as well as gender, occupational status and degree of education are the most important predictors in order to foretell whether someone is acquainted with computers and the internet and whether he or she is using them privately and professionally in a competent way. In order to search for explanations, a generation-specific model of media practice cultures will be developed. Being part of a generation-specific media practice culture means approaching respective new media technologies with the implicit possibilities and boundaries gained throughout one’s youth within the scope of practical experiences concerning the prevailing current media.

Participation and Interest in Continuing Education of Older Employees

Bernhard Schmidt

This article presents the results of a secondary analysis of the Berichtssystem Weiterbildung concerning the educational interests and behavior of older learners especially older employees. This survey shows the influence of income status, level of schooling and gender on educational behavior and so explains the differences within the group of older adults concerning continuing education participation, expectations and barriers. Further criteria for the delivery of continuing education programs which are a central issue for older employees appears to be more important than the vocational usefulness of continuing education for this target group and there is a noticeable resignation concerning improved vocational opportunities from continuing education measures.

Qualification of older Unemployed – Specifics, Strategies, Examples for Implementation [practice report]

Companies are still not very much aware of the challenge of an ageing workforce, so that they are not really prepared to meet it. Integration of older persons, also older job seekers into company operations opens up new opportunities for recruitment. The paper outlines the specific features of education and training for older workforce and gives practical examples of their reintegration into employment.

Experience based Training Promoting self directed Learning of older employees [practice report]

Eva Hörwick & Walter Bender

Companies expect increasingly responsibility of their staff. Experi­ence of older employees could be a positive link to fulfil these ex­pectations. Using leeway in a productive manner, is a question of training. Training methodology, which is especially appropriate for the training of older people, (too,) is activating the experience of trainings’ par­ticipants. The training „EQUA – experience based qualification” is part of the so-called ‘new training culture’ and deals with work prob­lems off the work place. Thus older trainees get meaningfulness. Trust of superiors in the professional skills of their employees is one of the crucial points for lasting success of competence enhancement.

The teachers´ headscarf:as a challange for teaching tolerance. An empirically based contribution to the headscarf debate in Germany

Yasemin Karakaşoğlu

Female Muslim teachers wearing headscarfs are in the focal point in the current German discourse about the threat of the society by Islamism. According to a common assumption their headscarfs are regarded as signs of anti democratic attitudes, therefore they should be banned from state schools by law. Empirical data - presented in this paper - shows that this assumption doesn't fit: There is no correlation between the attitude towards headscarfs and the Ideas of young Muslims regarding tolerance, integration and religious freedom.