Oral History in the Classroom: Fostering Positive Attitudes Toward Older Adults and the Aging Process

Abstract

Oral history projects can create intergenerational dialogue between students and elders. The purpose of this research study was to evaluate changes in attitudes toward older adults and aging of undergraduate students (n = 14) enrolled in an introductory gerontology course after completion of an oral history project. Attitudes toward older adults and aging were measured with visual analogue scales and were evaluated using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. Results indicate that significant changes in attitudes toward older adults (p ≤ .01) and the aging process (p ≤ .001) occurred. Students perceived that the project contributed positively to changes in attitudes and to their classroom experience.