INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING AS A MEANS OF INCREASING SOCIAL CAPITAL WITHIN THE LIFELONG LEARNING CONTEXT

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INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING AS A MEANS OF
INCREASING SOCIAL CAPITAL WITHIN THE LIFELONG
LEARNING CONTEXT

• Dr.paed. Ineta Luka, assoc. prof.
• Turiba University, Latvia
• Ineta_at_turiba.lv
• Dr.oec. Janis Eriks Niedritis, assoc.prof

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Turiba University

• Founded in 1993
• More than 5,800 students
• 11,432 alumni
• 4 major faculties Business Administration, Law
  Studies, International Tourism, Public Relations

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RIGA Founded in 1201 6 administrative districts
Centra, Kurzeme, Ziemelu, Latgale, Vidzeme,
Zemgale Territory 304.05 sq.km Dwelling space
29.9, industrial space 2.3, green area 28.0,
water 15.7. Population 706,413 people
Cultural capital of the EU in 2014
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LATVIA

• Located on the East coast of
• the Baltic sea
• The central country of the
• Baltic States
• The official language is
• Latvian
• Riga is the capital of Latvia
• Latvias population is
• 2,041,763 people
• The territory of Latvia covers
• 64,589 km2
• The official name of Latvia is
• the Republic of Latvia

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Context

• New epoch of creativity and enterprise
• Social capital
• Intergenerational learning
• Ageing of the population.

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Context of Latvia

• per 1,000 population of working age

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The Study

• The study was conducted at Turiba University,
  Latvia in 2012
• The purpose of the research to study
  intergenerational learning opportunities at a
  university and find the ways how to promote
  intergenerational learning.

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Research Questions

• What is the relationship between
  intergenerational learning and social capital in
  the university context?
• How productive is the created multidimensional
  model of intergenerational learning for
  university studies?

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Theoretical Framework

• Theories of intergenerational learning (Boström,
  2002, 2003 Hoff, 2007 McKechnie, 2007 Newman,
  Hatton-Yeo, 2008 Pinto, 2010, 2012 Thomas,
  2009 Wermundsen, 2007)
• Theories of social capital (Aspin, Chapman, 2001
  Cropley, 1980 Dubkevics, 2011 Newman,
  Hatton-Yeo, 2008 Kristiani, Scheelen, 2002
  Ulrich, Ulrich, 2010).

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Intergenerational Learning

• The oldest method of informal learning
• An all-encompassing concept for several kinds of
  human relationship across different generations
• An important part of lifelong learning
• Contribution of intergenerational learning
• Intergenerational learning and social capital
  paradigm.

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Social Capital

• Social capital as institutes, relationship and
  norms
• Social capital and connection between people
• Social interaction, cooperation and knowledge
  dissemination
• Social capital and intellect development and
  competitiveness.

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Intergenerational Learning and Social Capital

• Interrelatedness between the concepts of
  intergenerational learning and social capital
• Intergenerational learning, lifelong learning and
  social capital
• Intergenerational learning in the university
  context formal education and informal learning
• The creation of the multidimensional model of
  intergenerational learning for university
  studies.

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Model of Intergenerational Learning

• adapted from Boström (2002)

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The Sample

• An intentional sample of 65 students
• 11 students aged 19 24,
• 52 students aged 20 24,
• 2 students aged 25 34.
• An intentional sample of 5 professors
• 1 professor of tourism related courses,
• 1professor of management related course,
• lecturers in IT, French and German language.

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The Methodology

• Case study the analysis of social roles and
  relationship
• Quantitative approach applying a students
  questionnaire containing Likert scale and ranking
  questions
• Qualitative approach a students survey and
  semi-structured interviews with professors
• Data triangulation.

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Findings of the Research Enable Estimating (I)

• If students understand the role of social capital
  in contemporary entrepreneurship
• If social capital is developed in the studies
• The role of professors and training supervisors
  in the social capital development

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Findings of the Research Enable Estimating (II)

• If the age of professors and training supervisors
  ensures an additional value in the social capital
  development
• If the development of social capital is connected
  with lifelong learning
• The significant traits of character in developing
  interpersonal culture nowadays.

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Students Opinion on Interpersonal Relationship
in the Studies, Training and Industry (I)

• Peoples relationship with clients and business
  partners influences competitiveness and
  enterprise.
• Peoples mutual relationship influences
  competitiveness of the company.
• During training students became aware that
  interpersonal relationship is significant in
  ensuring successful business.

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Students Opinion on Interpersonal Relationship
in the Studies, Training and Industry (II)

• Professors influence students culture of
  behaviour.
• Students internship in the enterprise influenced
  students culture of behaviour.
• Students recognize that their training supervisor
  was their educator in the specialization.

Dr.paed. Ineta Luka, assoc.prof.
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Summary of Significant Differences Discovered in
Students Answers (Likert scale)
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Summary of Significant Differences Discovered in
Students Answers (Ranking)
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Students Survey (I)

• Relationship between students and professors in
  formal learning was friendly, trustful and
  collegiate, informal relationship pleasant,
  mutually agreeable.
• Students have learnt the code of behaviour and
  business etiquette, attitude towards work and
  thirst for knowledge, an ability to listen to
  others.
• I have learnt an ability to communicate well
  with the surrounding people, as well as a sense
  of responsibility towards the work to be done.
  (S_22)

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Students Survey (II)

• I think that nothing. (S_6, S_49, S_51)
• I really dont know. (S_14)
• I think that I can only learn something, not the
  professor. (S_22)
• Professors teach students. I dont think they
  can learn anything from them. (S_35)

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Students Survey (III)

• Those students who agreed that professors were
  learning in mutual relationship with the
  students, mostly pointed to
• - an ability to listen to others
• - a skill to communicate with younger
  generation - positive attitude
• - some technical skills
• - patience
• - look at the things from other viewpoint.

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Students Survey (IV)

• Students had learnt from training supervisors
• - insistence, accuracy, creativity
• - experience
• - communication skills
• - collaboration skills, team working
• - positive attitude to work
• - the necessity to take responsibility and show
  initiative
• - be open and friendly with colleagues and
  clients.

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Students Survey (V)

• Training supervisors had learnt from students
• - be more precise and accurate, do work on time
• - positive thinking from the students
• - creativity, enthusiasm, innovative thinking
• - team working skills in contact with younger
  employees
• - communication skills with Russian tourists
• - have understood the role of human relationship
  at work related situations.

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Students Survey (VI)

• As a result of intergenerational learning both
  students and training supervisors have made
  conclusions regarding peoples age and mutual
  relationship.
• Problems can be solved in very different ways
  and the age does not matter here. Peoples
  knowledge and experience matter. People are so
  different. The one age category does not mean
  similar work abilities and attitude. (S_49)

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Professors Interviews (I)

• Peoples mutual relationship influences
  competitiveness of an enterprise.
• Professors rather agree than disagree that the
  value of lectures is increasing with the age of
  professors.
• Professors quite strongly agree that professors
  influence students culture of behaviour.
• Most professors agreed that they had learnt from
  students something.

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Professors Interviews (II)

• I have learnt from foreign students to look at
  things from the perspective of other cultures.
  (professor of tourism related courses)
• I have improved my communication skills and have
  adopted an ability to adapt to different
  situations. (IT lecturer)
• Optimism. (French lecturer)
• I have learnt to be very careful what and how I
  am saying. (German lecturer)

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Professors Interviews (III)

• It is difficult to define precisely. Some
  suggestions/questions have been received from the
  students on the issues, e.g. have you read this
  book? It is very useful. Then I either read this
  book or have a look at it. Youths approach to
  life and its perception is understandable to me.
  However, I do not learn directly, in a formal
  way. (professor of management related course)

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Findings of the Research

• The findings of the research pointed to good
  mutual relationship between students and
  professors, students and training supervisors and
  collegiate relationship between professors and
  training supervisor.
• This relationship may contribute to the
  personality development and intergenerational
  learning in the lifelong learning context.

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Conclusion (I)

• According to the opinion of Florida and other
  scholars, 3 T will have the leading role in the
  future of humanity talent that is exposed in
  creative activity technology and tolerance,
  namely, human interpersonal relationship and
  cooperation.
• Human creativity is unlimited and it is enhanced
  by social capital and human capital. Creativity
  as a driving force of innovation process should
  be enhanced, and it is favoured by partnership
  and openness.

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Conclusion (II)

• The demographic load in Latvia increases year by
  year and it is essential to turn the aging
  process into the process that would promote
  creativity. This could be done by promoting
  solidarity of different generations and the use
  of accumulated wisdom.
• It is necessary to enhance solidarity between
  different generations as well as mentoring so
  that a new business culture could be developed
  and the knowledge transfer in the society would
  be more rapid.

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Conclusion (III)

• Mutual trust is not high in Latvia. However,
  cooperation stimulates the processes. Therefore
  the contribution of universities to creating
  comprehension on social capital and its
  development as an essential component of
  contemporary paradigm is vital.
• In its essence social capital is connected with
  lifelong learning and to manage it universities
  may apply Boströms multidimensional model of
  intergenerational learning.

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Conclusion (IV)

• The findings of the research indicate that
  interaction between students, professors and
  training supervisors is successfully organized at
  the university. However, the findings obtained
  during students questionnaire and survey on the
  most important features for successful
  entrepreneurship indicate that it is necessary to
  improve the process of developing students value
  system using both formal education and informal
  learning.

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Thank you for your attention!

• Ineta_at_turiba.lv

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Dr.paed. Ineta Luka, assoc.prof.