INTERACTION IN THE INTERGENERATIONAL FRESHMAN CLASS: WHAT MATTERS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe factors associated with participation of learners in the multi-age college classroom. Besides the multi-age component, we were interested in the perspectives of first-time freshmen because of the lack of research on participation for first-time freshmen in multi-age classrooms. The predominant means of data collection were semi-structured interviews with ten students who were first-time freshmen - six traditional-age and four adult students - and participant observations. Their ages ranged from 18 to 39 years of age. Two major themes associated with participation emerged from the data analysis, both of which were not related to age. The first, Classroom Environment, described how the classroom environment influenced participation. Three categories emerged from the data on the Classroom Environment : physical structure of the classroom, social climate, and instructor influence. The second theme, Nature of Interactions, described how different types of interactions influenced participation. Two categories emerged from the data on the Nature of Interactions : social interactions and course-focused interactions. Four conclusions were reached based on these findings: (1) the physical structure of the classroom influences student participation and student-to-student interaction; (2) the expectations and teaching style of the instructor influences participation; (3) discussion patterns are established early in the semester and hinders some students' participation; and (4) the social climate affects participation. Overall, findings yielded the same results for traditional-age and adult students. Implications for adult and higher education are presented, and recommendations are made for future research.