Integrating Emeriti Professors into an Age-Inclusive Learning Activity for Undergraduate Students
2024
Engaging Retired Professors in Intergenerational Learning
Sample size: 94
publication
Author Information
Author(s): Gautam Ramraj, Karen Devereaux Melillo, Lisa Abdallah
Primary Institution: University of Massachusetts Lowell
Hypothesis
Engaging retired faculty in university activities can improve attitudes and perceptions of aging among undergraduate students.
Conclusion
The study found that most students developed positive attitudes towards older adults after participating in intergenerational learning activities with retired professors.
Supporting Evidence
- 75% of students expressed a positive attitude towards older adults after the activity.
- The study identified two major themes: positive attitudes towards aging and understanding life in retirement.
Takeaway
Students learned a lot from talking to retired professors, and most of them started to feel more positively about older people.
Methodology
A sequential mixed method study involving qualitative content analysis of students' open-ended responses.
Participant Demographics
Undergraduate students at UMass Lowell.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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