| dc.description.abstract | This study investigated physical identity development through learning among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine older adults’ perceptions of their physical identity through their engagement in learning about physical activity. Specifically, I examined the role that learning about and learning how to do particular activities plays in identity development for older adults, as well as the meanings older adults attach to their engagement in the physical activity. The study’s conceptual framework drew from a contextual approach to adult development, identity-based theories, and the concept of the various adult learning contexts.
I employed grounded theory, informed by symbolic interactionism. I interviewed 15 adults aged 65 years and older, who were involved in physical activities on a regular basis. All participants maintained active (60%) or highly active (40%) levels of physical activity. Findings were developed using theoretical sampling, constant comparative analysis, three phases of coding, and memoing. Specifically, I employed the paradigm model (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) as an analytical tool for systematically organizing categories. For the final theoretical conceptualization, I provided a diagram to visualize the emergent categories and present a final theory.
Given the global trends toward an aging society and increased desire for healthy aging in late life, this study provided a final model depicting (a) divergent and convergent modes of strategies and socioemotional aspects of physical identity development in later life; (b) different strategies employed between younger-old versus older-old age groups, and between participants who have underlying conditions and those who do not; (c) nature of learning for older adults who participate in exercise (i.e., assimilative, accommodative, and social learning); and additionally, (d) older adults’ lives, where the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic threatened their health and normal activity, was considered as another important finding.
Finally, the findings of this study highlighted the importance of context in the study of aging and understanding the nature of the ongoing process of human development. Future aging studies need to take into consideration not only varied demographic information of the older population, but also the context of age subgroups and individual health-related factors. The present study can inform scholars and practitioners in the field of adult education and gerontology and further the educational agendas for late-life learning. | en |
