Subjective age and the functions of continuing education. The linkage between age and participation in continuing education

Abstract

Abstract The article analyses the linkage between the age of participants of continuing education and the function which learners appoint to their participation. Therefore, the influence of the subjective age for further education is studied. The study differentiates professional, social and personal functions of participation in continuing education. The result of a factor analysis designs subjective age into the two constructs cognitive and social-psychological subjective age. The data of two survey studies (n = 265 and n = 441) are analysed with structural equation models. The results show, that the subjective age has no significant influence on the appointment to the professional and personal function. But, the analysis shows that an increasing subjective age is reducing the social function of continuing education.

Keywords

• continuing education research
• adult education
• function
• age
• participation
• stages of life