This chapter examines the potential for personal growth, development, and learning of older adult women who will have many productive years in the workforce. What implications are there for adult education communities who will interact with these older women? How do they adapt to the educational environment, and what social support will enable…

Written for both professionals and lay persons working with the development and education of older adults, this book addresses issues of aging, expectations for aged persons, and the means to respond in practical and educationally sound ways to the changing needs of older adults. The book is organized in four parts. Part I introduces the world of…

Through in-depth interviews, the motivation and experience of 40 Elderhostel participants, aged 60 to 80, were studied and personal stories were collected. This information was analyzed within the framework of relevant psychosocial and gerontological theory and research. The findings identified some general characteristics of the population,…

Although educators know that older persons bring experience, curiosity, and motivation into the educational setting, they often do not consider the aged to be engaged in development, especially in the development of trust. Education can provide for older persons a means for focusing on society and self. The classroom can serve as a stimulus to…

At each age learning is a complex interaction of motivation, cognition, and development. In older adults, motivation is often related to a lifelong personality construct or personal meaning that an older individual will seek to play out when given the opportunity in late life. The needs of the older adult learner can be discussed in terms of…

A study was conducted to try to determine older adults' motivations for and experiences in the educational system as well as to try to determine how their life histories were being woven into their educational experiences. Based on the work of state theorists such as Buhler and Erikson as well as on the life review concept of Robert Butler, the…

This chapter serves as a review of the nature of transitions confronting adult learners and points to applications and strategies for anticipating coming changes.