Abstract
Theoretically, critical researchers and practitioners have contextualized teaching and learning among older adults, also referred to as geragogy, within a framework that puts older adults in control of their learning, inclusive of content areas. This approach to community-based teaching and learning can support creative gerontological social work interventions aimed at collaboratively addressing various challenges that older adults may have such as social isolation, limited access to community-based social supports, and barriers to retirement income security. With a focus on a newly implemented community-based arts education programme based in Kingston, Jamaica, this paper presents findings of interviews from a grounded theory study that explored the experiences of five instructors and 30 retired older adults who are teaching and learning visual art forms such as painting, drawing, jewelry-making and crafting for purposes of recreation, skill-development or enhancement and income security. The study sought to 1) Explore experiences of older adults who participate in community-based arts education programming during their retirement; 2) Identify effective teaching and learning strategies among instructors and learners in community-based arts programming; 3) Increase understanding of how community-based arts programming can support later-life well-being. Findings highlight the challenges and opportunities to teaching and learning among older adults as well as the potential for community-based arts-based education and geragogy (theory and methods) to be utilized in gerontological social work to support later-life well-being.
Presenters
Shamette HepburnAssociate Professor, School of Social Work, York University, Ontario, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Social and Cultural Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Geragogy, Community-based Education, Retirement Security, Grounded Theory, Gerontological Social Work
