This ethnographic, descriptive case study is concerned with an analysis of the Elderhostel experience at one specific university. Questionnaires, evaluation documents, observations, phototographs, and interviews were used in this study to describe the 1988 Elderhostel experience at North Texas State University. Thirty-three persons were initially asked to participate in this study. Twenty-nine agreed and actually completed the questionnaires, and 26 completed the program evaluation. The study is organized and presented in the following manner: Chapter I introduces the study. Chapter II presents a review of related literature addressing those studies directly concerned with the Elderhostel experience, those addressing motivational reasons for participation in adult education, and those dealing with learning abilities, interests, and goals of the elderly in general. Chapter III includes the methods and procedures used to collect and analyze the data. Chapter IV presents the descriptive and statistical analysis of the data, and Chapter V includes the summary, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations that were derived from the analysis. Major findings of this study include a description of the organization and administration of the program, a description of the educational and co-curricular activities offered and how they were evaluated by the participants, and demographic and motivational data of the participants involved. The "average" participant can be described as white, married, female, retired, white-collar background, from an urban community, a mean age of 70, a mean educational level of 16.5 years, and an income in excess of $20,000 annually. The most frequent reason given for attending Elderhostel was "program content," and for attending North Texas State University, the "International Focus." On the basis of the findings of this study it can be concluded that the characteristics of older adults most likely to enroll in educational programs can be identified; the North Texas State University Elderhostel program is meeting the needs and interests of its participants; and the primary motivators for attending Elderhostel are instrumental in nature.
Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
