| dc.description.abstract | The subjects of this research are senior citizens participating in learning activities designed by Taoyuan County Senior Citizen Learning Institute, and the learning needs and willingness of participation of these subjects are studied and discussed in order to provide a point of reference to competent agencies or institutes to plan senior citizen learning curriculums. To achieve the main study purpose, this research conducts in-depth interview with stakeholders who are involved in the curriculum planning of senior citizen learning courses, and sends out questionnaire surveys titled “Survey on the learning needs and willingness of participation of senior citizens in Taoyuan County” to conduct empirical research. There are 517 study samples for the questionnaire survey, consisting of senior citizens participating in activities of five senior citizen learning institutes: Taoyuan City Evergreen Learning Institute, Chungli City Evergreen Learning Institute, North Region Pine & Cypress College, South Region Senior Citizen’s College, and Shengte Evergreen Learning Institute.
Research result reveals the following findings: (1)In terms of current learning situation of senior citizens in Taoyuan County: The public agency in charge of affairs regarding Taoyuan County senior citizen learning institute implements their ideology from the perspective of social welfare, and has outsourced the implementation of the ideology of life-long learning to the private sector. The course design of senior citizen learning institutes are mainly to address the coping needs and expressive needs, and very little on contributive needs and influence needs. Furthermore, there is essentially no course that addresses the transcendence needs. Also, insufficient fund is a general dilemma among senior citizen learning institutes. As for participants of senior citizen learning courses, majority of them are married female, aged between 55 to 64 years old. Most of them have high school education or above, and their career backgrounds are mainly household management, civil service, military service, or teachers. Their motives of participation are to make friends, to learn new things, and to pass the time. (2)In terms of learning needs and willingness of participation of senior citizens: The learning needs and willingness of participation of senior citizens are between “average” and “somewhat need to learn,” and the highest reason for willingness of participation is to fulfill “coping needs.” Female have significantly higher learning needs and willingness of participation than male; the learning needs and willingness of participation among different age groups also reveal significant variances. The learning needs and willingness of participation of senior citizen as a whole have significant positive correlation with all related aspects.
This research offers the following suggestions: (1)Suggestions for government agencies: establish units that exclusively handle the affairs of senior learning and of senior citizen learning institutes. Utilize inter-departmental cooperation and strategic alliance to resolve problems regarding insufficient funds, restriction of facilities, and lack of teaching resources. (2)Suggestions for senior citizen learning institutes: In order to promote the participation of learning activity, provide courses suitable for senior citizen’s learning needs base on gender and age differences; offer different modes of learning base on the different learning needs of the senior citizen learners. Expand the learner’s opportunity to participate by enhancing the planning of retired human sources and volunteer training courses, promote the community’s participation, utilize circulating book reading groups, and conduct Internet learning through videoconferencing. (3)Suggestions for senior citizens: Actively participate in learning activities; fulfill your life as a senior citizen; understand your own learning needs, and arrange suitable learning activities accordingly. | en_US |