Summary
Led by Dr. Elizabeth Russell (Associate Professor, Psychology, Trent University), this project examines how ageism can be reduced through both lecture-based and intergenerational courses on the psychology of aging.
Publications and Projects
Intergenerational Classroom
Primary Investigator and Course Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Russell, Associate Professor, Psychology, Trent University
Coordinated by: Tabytha Wells, M.Sc. Candidate, Psychology, Trent University
Summary: With the generous support of the RTOERO Foundation and the Trent Teaching Fellowship Program, Dr. Elizabeth Russell is piloting an intergenerational classroom in her Psychology of Aging course in Winter, 2024. The goal is to increase intergenerational connectivity at Trent University, further building the firm connection between Trent and the Peterborough community. Older community members (classroom volunteers) were invited into the classroom space as valued members of the class, connecting weekly with students through collaborative, intergenerational projects, and informally reflecting on their experiences with growing older. Students and classroom volunteers encountered an enriched and positive intergenerational learning environment.
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Facilitating Age-Conscious Student Development through Lecture-Based Courses on Aging
Primary Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Russell, Associate Professor, Psychology, Trent University
Authors: Elizabeth Russell, Éric R. Thériault, Amber Zapletal
Funder: Trent University SSHRC Explore Grant
Abstract: Ageism is pervasive and socially normalized, and population aging has created a need to understand how views of aging and of older people, typically considered to be people over the age of 65, can be improved. This study sought to understand how undergraduate students’ attitudes towards older adults and the aging process may be influenced after completing a typical, lecture-based undergraduate course on aging that lacked service-learning components. Two undergraduate student cohorts (n = 40) at two Canadian universities participated in semi-structured focus groups/interviews, describing how the course may have impacted their perceptions of the aging process and of older adults. An iterative collaborative qualitative analysis demonstrated that course content stimulated a deeper understanding of the aging process, prompting a reduction in and increased awareness of ageism, and enhanced personal connection with aging, ultimately facilitating the development of an age-conscious student. Lecture-based courses focused on aging may be sufficient to facilitate positive attitude change among undergraduate students towards older adults and the aging process.
