Abstract:

The phenomenon of intensively growing population of older people in the social structure of Poland forms the basis for scientific discourse focused on issues related to the period of eldery and the needs of the oldest generations. The subject of the presented research has been the educational activity of women over 75 who live in Polish urban agglomerations. 300 women attending the Third Age Universities were invited to the study. By conducting research in the quantitative-qualitative paradigm, the following research problems were addressed: How do surveyed women define educational activity? What factors determine the educational activity of the surveyed women? What are the barriers to undertaking educational activity in the perception of the respondents? What needs are particularly fulfilled through educational activity?

The obtained results allowed to determine the significance and role that educational activity plays among women over 75 years of age. The authors have extended the existing palette of determinants of educational activity with factors that have been so far omitted, including e.g. the Third Age Universities study programs. In the paper authors will present in detail the results of their research, pointing out new factors determining educational activity of Polish women in the age of 75+.

Keywords:

Educational activity, women over 75, Third Age Universities.