Older Baby Boomers seeking collegiate degrees: Developmental influences on educational and vocational aspirations

Abstract

This paper summarizes findings from a phenomenological study designed to explore the experiences of degree-seeking, adult learners – specifically, Older Baby Boomers (OBB) born between 1946 and 1958. Findings seek to understand how adult development—psychosocial, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions—influences older adult students’ future aspirations, both career and retirement, and their transformational learning experiences within the context of higher education. Several national trends are converging that greatly impact adult education today. First, the increasing presence of adults in higher education is accentuated by the expansive Baby Boom generation. Older Baby Boomers, the leading edge of this large cohort, are not only nearing retirement, but are returning to higher education in record numbers (Creighton & Hudson, 2002). Second, the demographic phenomenon of increasing adult learners impacts workforce and economic development in the 21 century. Between 2000 and 2015 the highest growth rate in the U.S. workforce will be among workers aged 55 to 64 (Montenegro, Fisher, & Remez, 2002, p. 5). Even though four out of five Baby Boomers desire to continue working beyond typical retirement age, many will require upgraded skills and credentials (Freedman, 2005). A third significant trend impacting adult education is longer life expectancy—age 77 today compared to age 47 in 1900 (Zeiss, 2006). Longer life expectancy and longer life after retirement have encouraged older adults to participate in various new learning and work experiences. Study Purpose and Contribution To meet the demands created by these trends, we need a deeper understanding of how adult learners—particularly those who are at or near traditional retirement age—access institutions of higher education, experience successful learning in their higher education endeavors, and plan to utilize their college education in their remaining work-lives. This phenomenological study examines the experiences of degree-seeking OBB between the ages of 50 and 62. Specifically, this study explores: (a) who contemporary, degree-seeking OBB students are and how they describe their support needs as they transition back into college; (b) the learning experiences and expectations of OBB students as they move through college and how those impact their cognitive development and adult transformative learning experiences; and (c) the influence of spirituality as OBB students move out from their educational experience toward vocational aspirations. This study addresses qualitative research gaps in the higher education literature pertaining to the learning and development of older adult degree-seeking students. The majority of studies concerning older adult learners have focused on those seeking non-credit and informal education. Furthermore, the recent surge of studies regarding spiritual development in college has been quantitative in nature and largely focused on traditional-aged students. This study provides a deeper understanding of how those learners who are at or near traditional retirement age move into institutions of higher education, move through their college learning experience, and plan to move out of higher education toward their future vocational aspirations.