Training Older Volunteers in Gerontological Research in the United Kingdom: Moving towards an Andragogical and Emancipatory Agenda
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| Title: | Training Older Volunteers in Gerontological Research in the United Kingdom: Moving towards an Andragogical and Emancipatory Agenda |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Burholt, Vanessa, Nash, Paul, Naylor, Dawn, Windle, Gill |
| Source: | Educational Gerontology. 2010 36(9):753-780. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 28 |
| Publication Date: | 2010 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Adult Education |
| Descriptors: | Volunteers, Older Adults, Researchers, Training, Gerontology, Data Analysis, Interviews, Research Methodology, Adult Learning, Adult Education, Rural Education, Andragogy, Modeling (Psychology), Active Learning, Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom, United Kingdom (Wales) |
| DOI: | 10.1080/03601271003766270 |
| ISSN: | 0360-1277 |
| Abstract: | In the UK, very few studies have engaged older people in two or more elements of the research process (design, conduct, dissemination). Although there is a body of work on educational gerontology, there are few publications that specifically focus on training older people as coresearchers. This paper reports upon the training program undertaken as part of the Rural North Wales Initiative for the Development of Support for Older People (RuralWIDe). The RuralWIDe training program was built upon principles of andragogy: the art and science of teaching adults. The trainers used lecturing; modeling (observation of another person conducting a task); and active participation (structured guidance, instructions or trial and error, during which the student discovers for him or herself how to perform the task) to teach older volunteers social gerontology, research methods, interview techniques, and data analysis. This paper describes the methods used in RuralWIDe and highlights instances when these were both effective and ineffective. It assesses the study against Rachal's (2002) criteria for andragogy (voluntary participation, adult status, collaboratively determine objectives, performance-based assessment of achievement, measuring satisfaction, appropriate adult learning environment, and technical issues), and it describes when pedagogical assumptions were made by the research team. (Contains 2 tables.) |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 76 |
| Entry Date: | 2010 |
| Accession Number: | EJ893367 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | In the UK, very few studies have engaged older people in two or more elements of the research process (design, conduct, dissemination). Although there is a body of work on educational gerontology, there are few publications that specifically focus on training older people as coresearchers. This paper reports upon the training program undertaken as part of the Rural North Wales Initiative for the Development of Support for Older People (RuralWIDe). The RuralWIDe training program was built upon principles of andragogy: the art and science of teaching adults. The trainers used lecturing; modeling (observation of another person conducting a task); and active participation (structured guidance, instructions or trial and error, during which the student discovers for him or herself how to perform the task) to teach older volunteers social gerontology, research methods, interview techniques, and data analysis. This paper describes the methods used in RuralWIDe and highlights instances when these were both effective and ineffective. It assesses the study against Rachal's (2002) criteria for andragogy (voluntary participation, adult status, collaboratively determine objectives, performance-based assessment of achievement, measuring satisfaction, appropriate adult learning environment, and technical issues), and it describes when pedagogical assumptions were made by the research team. (Contains 2 tables.) |
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| ISSN: | 0360-1277 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/03601271003766270 |
