Weiterbildung älterer Menschen im demografischen Wandel – Internationale Perspektiven und Lernwege

The ageing population presents a series of policy challenges, for which our current three phase model of the lifecourse is unhelpful, especially by overlooking the changing nature of the “third age”. Encouraging people to stay longer in paid work is a key priority for Government, and training is often advocated as a way of encouraging this. This paper summarises the demographic challenge and presents a proposal for rethinking the lifecourse. It then describes the findings of a project, which examined this issue, and suggests how learning can most effectively contribute to extending working life.

In this article we explore the challenges of learning in later life, in particular intergenerational or cross generational learning for the future. Looking to the policy of the European Union (EU), in particular to lifelong learning, we see how the notion for intergenerational and intercultural learning has been embedded more and more into policy. The question is if this makes sense, or better: how will it make sense? Senior education is transforming in intergenerational learning – intergenerational learning becomes more and more intercultural learning as well. Therefore lifelong learning should be intergenerational and intercultural learning.

Japan’s population is aging and shrinking at unprecedented speed. One central issue that emerges in the ongoing discourse on how to meet the manifold demographic challenges Japan faces deals with the central role the nation’s senior citizens can take on when it comes to providing and fostering social capital. The concept of lifelong learning in this context has been established as a central means of being engaged in actively shaping the future of Japan.

Positive learning experiences in childhood, adolescence, as well as during employment have a favourable effect on learning in old age. From a gerontological perspective, the significance of school education and of professional qualifications attained later in life for educational behaviour in the post-employment phase can be explained with the continuity theory. To evaluate the relevance of one’s educational biography, a representative survey was conducted. 500 individuals at the age from 50 to 75 years who participated in an educational initiative within the last twelve months and 200 people who had not pursued any such activities were interviewed. The results of the data analysis demonstrate that continuing education in a professional context is closely linked to continuing education after retirement.

European countries, North America and Japan are strongly affected by demographic change and ageing populations. In these countries a discourse emerged about using the potentials of older people and the role of lifelong learning in this process. This text focuses on international results of further educational participation of older people and outlines concepts of learning in later life in Germany.

The authors take the model of reproduction contexts, which has been developed by Josef Schrader in order to systematize the adult education sector, as a point of departure to discuss the possibilities of its empirical transfer. Based on the re-analysis of structural data of adult education institutions the problems of transfer of a theoretically developed model are explored. They conclude by outlining impulses for further discussions.

The study examines how research-based learning, based on grounded theory, might enhance students learning abilities. In the context of a qualitative experiment, two groups of students were introduced to research-based learning. The students involved were asked about their learning experiences afterwards. The results of the study implicate that research-based learning is a promising approach for the development of self-determined learning. Students were critical, however, regarding the incompatibility of the self-determined learning process with the fact that the research goals and processes were largely determined by others.