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- Brink, Satya
(författare)
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The right to lifelong learning : Addressing policy challenges for late-life learning in Canada
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Population Studies. - : AccScience Publishing. - 2424-8150 .- 2424-8606. ; 9:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lifelong learning is essential to support optimum development, cope with life challenges, improve healthy autonomy and contribute to a just, sustainable, and prosperous society. The value of the legal right to lifelong learning is not well understood, tested, or applied, as lifelong learning is rarely extended to all people till the end of life. Education or learning was formally accepted as a human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Together with UNESCO Recommendation against Discrimination in Education (1960), these two international agreements ensure access, relevance, and equity of lifelong learning. Possible reasons for low compliance and slow implementation of lifelong learning to the end of life are discussed. Canada’s efforts can serve as a model for lifelong learning policies for later life because, as a federated country, it requires national and provincial laws to work together to achieve the same desired outcome for lifelong learning across thirteen different provinces and territories. Furthermore, for the first time, the 2021 Canadian census provided detailed data for the population aged 65–100 years, and it supports evidence-based policy development regarding for whom, when, what, when, where, and how lifelong learning outcomes can be provided nationally. A combination of need and capacity is a better measure than determining eligibility by age 65–100 years, and the quality of learning should be based on responsiveness to specific needs and its relevance to learners in the last four decades of life. The needs for knowledge range from life management, personal growth, societal contributions, and legacy for the future. Learning options should be continuous, encourage individual choice, and rely on geragogy. To be equitable, learning in later life should be delivered in formal, nonformal, or informal means in residential and institutional settings.
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| 2. |
- Hachem, Hany, PhD, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Barriers to learning at a U3A in Lebanon : A structurationist perspective
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Population Studies. - : AccScience Publishing. - 2424-8150 .- 2424-8606. ; 9:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examines the barriers older learners experience at a University for the Third Age (U3A) in Lebanon. Contemporary literature often categorizes these barriers into dispositional, situational, and institutional realms, arising as individual or structural phenomena. This article envisages barriers as the (un)intended consequences of (inter)actions among different institutional agents — namely, learners, teachers, and administrators — within the learning environment. Following Anthony Giddens’ dualistic understanding of agency and structure, the article aims to transcend the typical dichotomic approach in understanding barriers older persons face when engaging in lifelong learning. Shedding light on this new perspective on barriers as (un)intended consequences of agents’ (inter)actions at the U3A, this work raises two research questions: (i) what barriers confront older learners when engaging in non-formal learning? Moreover, (ii) taking older learners’ perspective, how are these barriers (re)produced in the (inter)actions of different institutional agents? Following a reflexive deductive thematic analysis of interview data with ten members at a U3A in Lebanon, this article generates two types of barriers. First, barriers as outcomes of interactions involving learners with teachers and administrators (curricula issues, teachers and teaching methods, language of instruction, class protocol, and accessibility). Second, barriers as outcomes of interactions involving learners (unwillingness and inability to socialize, as well as social bias and prejudice). This paper concludes that the actions of institutional agents at the U3A (re)produce its modus vivendi and modus operandi and calls for the promotion of continuous dialog and reflexivity as countermeasures against bias and exclusion to enhance the U3A’s age-friendliness.
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| 3. |
- Ikuteyijo, Olutoyin O., et al.
(författare)
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Demand and supply of adolescent and young adult’s sexual and reproductive health services during COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa : a scoping review
- 2024
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Ingår i: International Journal of Population Studies. - : AccScience Publishing. - 2424-8150 .- 2424-8606. ; 10:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated containment strategies have significantly impacted the logistics of supplying sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to adolescents and young adults (AYA) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies conducted in the region indicate an increase in sexual activity, particularly among young people, during the pandemic. However, the impact of these changes on their utilization of SRH services remains unclear. This scoping review aims to synthesize the available evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on the SRH behavior and service utilization of AYA. This review focuses on examining the demand and supply of SRH for AYA during the COVID-19 lockdown period (January 2020 – December 2021). Following the Arksey & O’Malley (2005) procedure and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewer’s Manual (2020), the review encompasses comprehensive search strategies, analysis, and reporting of results. The search for relevant articles was conducted across various databases, including Medline Complete, Africa-Wide, SocINDEX, Academic Search Complete (all through EBSCOhost), Public Health, Social Science & Sociology databases, the Middle East & Africa Database (all through ProQuest), and Web of Science. Articles published between January 2020 and December 2021 were included in this review. The studies discussed in this review shed light on the discrepancies in the demand for and supply of SRH services during the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing a substantial gap in addressing the specific SRH needs of AYA. This review also examines the strategies adopted by countries in SSA to mitigate these effects. Several countries in SSA demonstrated resilience as health providers fulfilled their role, while AYA sought alternatives to mitigate the shortage in the supply chain for SRH services and commodities, often resorting to alternative medicine. The findings underscore the urgency of further research to address the risks imposed by COVID-19 on the utilization of SRH services by AYA in SSA. The evidence presented in this review can inform strategic efforts to ensure the availability and accessibility of SRH services for AYA during any unforeseen emergency or future pandemic.
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| 4. |
- Maini Gerhardsson, Kiran, et al.
(författare)
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Light, activity, and sleep: Design and usability evaluations of a web-based course supporting changes to routines and the home
- 2024
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Ingår i: International Journal of Population Studies. - 2424-8150. ; 10:2, s. 27-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While research indicates that indoor lighting, exposure to daylight, physical activity, and sleep interact to influence functioning, mood, and daily rhythm, strategies are needed to support behavioral changes among older adults who often spend more time at home after retirement. The objective was to design a web-based course to encourage behavior change related to light, activity, and sleep. Grounded in the information-motivation-behavioral skills model, the course aims to promote well-being and improve lighting and darkness conditions at home. The technology acceptance model was used as a framework for evaluating usability aspects of the course. Data were collected through video observations, interviews, and questionnaires. Three experts on pedagogy, design for older adults, and/or interaction design were invited to independently assess usability of the course content in a full-scale model of an apartment. Six adults (age 70 – 79) participated in a similar usability evaluation in a second round in the apartment. A two-step usability evaluation by experts in the first round and target users in the second proved valuable. Findings enabled refinement of the course content and significantly reduced the number of identified usability issues in the second round. All six participants in the second round rated the overall user-friendliness as 6 out of 7. Changes to the content after the second round included, e.g., clarifying the different types of text links and considering issues with online enrolment in the course. The web-based course, supplemented with physical meetings, can benefit late-life learners because of the relevant easy-to-use content.
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