The Development of an Active Aging Development Program for the Royal Thai Armed Forces Based on the Concepts of Educational Gerontology and Experiential Learning

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to develop the non-formal educational program based on the concepts of educational gerontology and experiential learning for an active aging development 2) to implement the non-formal educational program based on the concepts of educational gerontology and experiential learning for an active aging in the Royal Thai Armed Forces 3) to study factors and conditions of using non-formal educational program based on the concepts of educational gerontology for an active aging in the Royal Thai Armed Forces.The research population was 284,700 civil servants in the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The research procedures were divided into four steps. The first strep was the data collection. The second step was the development of the non-formal educational program based on the concept of educational gerontology and experiential learning for the development of the active aging persons among the civil servants in the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The third step was the experimental strep for implementing the non-formal educational program based on the concept of education gerontology and experiential learning to support the development of the active aging persons with 60 civil servants of the Royal Thai Armed Forces; the experimental group involved 30 persons and the control group involved another 30 persons. The experimental group was trained base on the non-formal educational development program by researcher. The last step was to study the factor, the condition of using non-formal educational program based on the concepts of educational gerontology for the active aging persons in the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

The Research findings were as follows:

1) The non-formal educational program developed consists of 5 elements: (1) rationale, (2) objective, (3) concept of learning activity arrangement which the learners could have active aging process in 3 factors, health, participation, and security with the active aging behaviors were realization and make commitment, self-reliance, every does and does for everyone , and do continuously including (3.1) experience building (3.2) problem
recognition (3.3) the reflection of the idea (3.4) building new knowledge (3.5) the operation of practice and application (4) the determination of learning arrangement and (5) the program evaluation.

2) The results of the program implementation were as follows: (1) After the experiment, it showed that the experimental group had knowledge, attitudes and behaviors for preparation to develop the stage of active aging, in terms of health, social participation and life security and self-confidence, higher than before entering the program statistic significantly at .05 level. (2) The experimental group had knowledge, attitudes and behaviors for preparation to develop the stage of active aging, in terms of health, social participation and life security and assurance higher than the controlled group statistic significantly at .05 level.

3) The factor and condition in putting the non-formal educational program in action related to the eight indications of instruction. Research findings found out that the learner had impressed to participation in the program were learning activities, groups of learners, lecturers and demonstrators, learning activities, knowledge and learning-media resources as well as physical environment. For example, learning activities such as self-drawing in different age, it can bring the learners to obviously realize any problems due to changing their bodies when they are becoming aging people. As a result, these learners can efficiently prepare themselves to be efficient active aging. Group of learners, participants can discuss or share their experiences each other in a group. Consequently, they can seriously realize and reflex their problems when they are going to old age. Then, they can setup their life-plan in order to prepare themselves to be happiness and healthy senility. Physical environment, for example, simulation in blind, the learners who are assumed blind are currently facing routine problems in every day. This assumption can lead them to obviously realize this situation. Then, they will prepare their houses to be suitable for aged people in the future concerning quality and efficient their life as active aging.

4) The genuine active aging included 4 behaviors. They were: (1) The realization and commitment; after the samples got through the active aging training program, the samples realized the health problem of elderly deeply until they could bring out health care planning in many effective ways such as choosing the physical exercised, nutrition diet that suited for the elderly. (2) Self–reliance; after the samples got through the active aging training program, the samples realized the mental health problem of elderly enormously they chose the ability to develop their mind to be the persons who had healthy mind and were happy by paying respect and accept others‘ opinions. Meanwhile, one can give happiness to one self and others by using a method of positive thinking and talking to others. (3) Everyone does and does for everyone; after the samples got through the active aging training program, the samples understood the isolated problem of elderly seriously they organized the group activity such as the exercise group. (4) Do continuously; after the samples got through the active aging training program, the samples realized the intermittent perform problem of elderly extremely they cultivated themselves to carry on healthy such as having the health check-up consistently.