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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: [email protected]
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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

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