Leitprinzipien und didaktische Handlungsansätze in der Erwachsenenbildung. Lernen im Alter

Since the 1960s and 1970s, a change in perspective toward learning in old age has been observed. The deficit model, according to which the ability to learn diminishes with increasing age, has been permanently refuted. Nevertheless, prejudice against the ability of older people to learn and perform still exists in society. This stigmatizing perspective has consequences for adult education. Firstly, the target group of older people stays away from adult education, i.e. as their age increases, the probability that they will participate in organised continuing education decreases. Secondly, a didactics appropriate for older learners has not yet been fully established. Adult education, however, needs didactic structures and guiding principles to allow older people access to continuing education. Supplemented by a Guide to the Practical Implementation of Didactic Principles for Senior Citizen Education by Hanns Sauter and Dagmar Heidecker, the present article describes didactic measures for adult education that are fundamental to work with older people.