Abstracts IJEE 2 (2.4)
University Educational Opportunities to Adults 50 Years of Age or Older:
Fundamental Reasons and Characteristics
Zobeida González-Raimundí
Received: 18 March 2016 • Accepted: 3 June 2016
International Journal of Educational Excellence
(2016) Vol. 2, No. 2, 65-76
ISSN 2373-5929
DOI: 10.18562/IJEE.019
Abstract: Venturing inside the study of the phenomenon of university education for adults in Puerto Rico, particularly after the decade of the 1980s, lets us obtain answers to many questions that are born out of observation of the marked presence of adults in the classrooms on the island. In response to that, a lot of universities started academic programs that are aimed at adults. This theme of university education for adults in the island has, during the last decade, peaked the interest of a few researchers, who have approached it from different perspectives. One study that looked into the experience of being a university student who has 50 years or more of age during their bachelor’s degree, from a phenomenological standpoint is what gave rise to this essay. The author performs a very deep analysis of the starring role the adult students, who were interviewed individually (nine participants) awarded two issues: university education as a resource to serve human beings better; and, the example they embody, specially to their family members, by reaching their academic goals.
Resumen: Desarrollar el estudio del fenómeno de la educación universitaria para adultos en Puerto Rico, particularmente después de la década de los años 1980, nos permite obtener respuestas a muchas preguntas en torno a la elevada presencia de adultos en las aulas de la isla. En relación con ello, un elevado número de universidades comenzó a ofrecer programas académicos dirigidos a los adultos. El análisis de la educación universitaria para adultos durante la última década en la isla ha centrado el interés de varios investigadores que lo han abordado desde diferentes perspectivas. Un trabajo que analizó, desde una perspectiva fenomenológica, la experiencia que supone a los estudiantes universitarios mayores de 50 años el realizar una licenciatura es lo que dio origen a este artículo. La autora lleva a cabo un profundo análisis del papel protagonizado por los estudiantes adultos (nueve participantes) que fueron entrevistados individualmente para identificar sus principales intereses y razones para estudiar: la educación universitaria como un recurso para servir mejor a los seres humanos; y ser un ejemplo, especialmente para los miembros de su familia, al alcanzar sus objetivos académicos.
Key-Words: Higher Education, Adult University Student, Bachelor’s Degree, University Education, Phenomenology.
Palabras Clave: Educación Superior, Estudiante Senior Universitario, Grado Universitario, Educación Universitaria, Fenomenología.