The Extent to Which Ageism Has Affected Lifelong Learning Settings: Perspectives From Practitioners in Taiwan

Abstract

As of 2018, Taiwan had a population of approximately 23.5 million people, of which 14% had reached 65 years old. To promote healthy and active aging for Taiwanese older adults, the Lifelong Learning Act was amended in 2018 in order to support older adults in terms of their personal development and leisure opportunities. The primary goal of the study was to explore the attitudes toward older adults and ageist behaviors shown by Taiwanese lifelong learning practitioners, including faculty members, lecturers, and volunteers. The results showed that Taiwanese lifelong learning practitioners, especially faculty members, had a high level of benevolent ageist attitudes toward older adults. However, associations between demographic factors on ageist behaviors were inconsistent. The findings of the study provide suggestions and research directions for the purpose of building a better age discrimination-free lifelong learning environment for current and prospective older learners.