ELDERLY PEOPLE’S PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SPECIFICS AND THEIR CONSIDERATION IN THE LEARNING PROCESS
Abstract
The article reveals specifics of elderly people’s learning that principally based on psychological and physiological specifics of elderly age. It also outlines studies on elderly people’s learning capacity and substantiates social, economic and demographic factors providing the rationale for learning in the elderly age. Then it establishes positive effects of all age groups’ mental performance on personal views of life: (R. J. Havighurst (comprehensive education focused on personal needs and goals), P. Laslett (the need in lifelong cognitive development and its benefits for the quality of life); H. Moody (the focus of learning on prevention of living «a purposeless life after retirement»).
Further the article identifies two opposite views on specifics of elderly people learning. Some researchers believe that cognitive capacity in general and learning capacity specifically are limited in time meaning that people become unable to learn after they reach a certain age. Other researchers provide convincing evidence that despite certain age-related psychological and physiological changes, people can acquire and interiorize information, and learn throughout their life. Sometimes these processes are even faster in adults than children and adolescents.
The article also describes the groups of approaches related to elderly people’s psychological and physiological specifics that should be considered when choosing learning styles. The weightiest of them are as follows: forming the constructive motivation; choosing the most appropriate learning style; involving all the students in cooperation; creating a friendly and mutually-respectful environment; meeting students’ personal needs; and meeting adult learning principles.
Key words: elderly age; psychological and physiological specifics; lifelong learning, psychological theories.
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References
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Laslett, P.A. (1991). Fresh Map of Life: The Emergence of the Third Age. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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Tough, A. (1971). The adult's learning projects: A fresh approach to theory and practice in adult learning. Toronto: OISE.
References (translated and transliterated)
Ananev, B.G. (1971). Struktura razvitiya fiziologicheskih funktsiy vzroslogo cheloveka [The structure of the development of physiological functions of an adult.]. V B.G. Anaev (Red.), Vozrastnyie osobennosti vzroslyih v rahlichnyie periody zrelosti. Leningrad, 5–13. [in Russian].
Savchyn, M.V., & Vasylenko, L.P. (2005). Vikova psykholohiia [Age psychology]. Kyiv: Akademvydav [in Ukrainian].
Feldshgeyn, D.I. (1995). Problemyi vozrastnoy i pedagogicheskoy psihologii: Izbrannyie psihologicheskie [Problems of developmental and educational psychology]. Trudy. Moskva: Mezhdunar. ped. akademiya [in Russian].
Baltes, P.B., Reese, H.W., & Lipsitt, L.P. (1980). Life-span developmental psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 31, 65–110. URL: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.31.020180.000433 [in English].
Creighton, S., & Hudson, L. (2002) Participation Trends and Patterns in Adult Education: 1991 to 1999: Statistical Analysis Report. URL: http://www.education.rekom.ru/2_2007/32.html [in English].
Erikson, E.H. (1982). The Lifecycle Completed. A Review. New York: Norton.
Havighurst, R.J. (1963). Successful aging. In R.H. Williams, C. Tibbits, & Donahue, W. (Eds.), Processes of Aging (pp. 299–320). New York: Atherton Press [in English].
Havighurst, R. J. (1962). Developmental Tasks and Education. New York: David McKay, Co [in English].
Laslett, P. A. (1991). Fresh Map of Life: The Emergence of the Third Age. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press [in English].
Moody, H. (1976). Philosophical presuppositions of education for old age. Educational Gerontology, 1, 1–16 [in English].
Tennant, M., & Pogson, P. (1995). Learning and change in the adult years: A developmental perspective (6th ed.). San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass [in English].
Tough, A. (1971). The adult's learning projects: A fresh approach to theory and practice in adult learning. Toronto: OISE [in English].
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