Lakehead University Library Logo
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   Knowledge Commons
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Retrospective theses
    • View Item
    •   Knowledge Commons
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Retrospective theses
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    quick search

    Browse

    All of Knowledge CommonsCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDisciplineAdvisorCommittee MemberThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDisciplineAdvisorCommittee Member

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Lived experiences of senior students returning to university

    Thumbnail

    View/Open

    FraserJ2000m-1b.pdf (6.290Mb)

    Date

    2000

    Author

    Fraser, Jane

    Degree

    Master of Education

    Discipline

    Education

    Subject

    College students
    Adult education
    Older people Intellectual life

    Metadata

    Show full item record

    Abstract

    This phenomenological study of six purposively selected senior students, over the age of sixty, explored their learning experiences at a small regional university. Participant profiles created from the students' own words, generated in the interview transcripts framed the data analysis. From the constant comparative analysis of the transcripts, an overarching theme of learning emerged. During the analyses and interpretation, three sub-themes emerged. The first two sub-themes represented the outer realities of the participants' life­ worlds. The outer realities, common to all participants were lifelong learning and personal performance. However, the participants' inner realities served to integrate their life-worlds. In this study, inner realities were explored using tact, which is a 'thinkingly feeling' process melding the head and the heart (van Manen, 1995). Refinement of the data and returning to the literature led to the final sub-theme of fulfilment intertwined with generativity. The participants experienced a sense of happiness as they were learning at university. They also expanded their generativity while learning among younger stu9ents and nurturing younger members of their families. Implications include the need for research in classroom-based studies of seniors' learning experiences, the use of focus group methods for seniors' collective input, the need for curriculum development and support systems for senior learners and policy development and implementation based on research.

    URI

    http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/1758

    Collections

    • Retrospective theses

    Lakehead University Library
    Contact Us | Send Feedback

     


    Lakehead University Library
    Contact Us | Send Feedback