Focussing on tutoring skills instead of learners’ disadvantages in teenaged tutors’ training for intergenerational learning programmes

Abstract

In the twenty-first century non-professional tutors, including teenagers, have an important role to play in the development of contemporary skills among the older population. Scholars in the field of older-age learning share a common belief that age-specific knowledge should be introduced and implemented when instructing older people. At the same time, psychologists warn that only perceived similarities between members of an in-group and out-group can reduce the age stereotypes they may hold. Therefore, focusing on age-specific knowledge in preparing teenaged tutors for instructing older individuals in the acquisition of e-skills would not support age-stereotype dilution in intergenerational programmes. An alternative idea is introduced by analysing the connections between geragogical principles and the nature of scaffolding assistance. It is proposed to focus on tutors’ scaffolding skills instead of older learners’ peculiarities when preparing teenaged tutors. The theoretically grounded idea will need to be validated by future empirical studies.