Page 122 - Šolsko polje, XXVIII, 2017, no. 1-2: Etika in šola, ur. Marjan Šimenc in Mitja Sardoč
P. 122
šolsko polje, letnik xxviii, številka 1–2
learn. Thus, it is easier to change already adopted ageist observations in
children when they are not so deeply rooted.
The Present Study
The primary purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge about
aging and attitudes towards older people on a sample of Slovenian secon
dary school students. At the same time, we wanted to determine whether
there was a negative correlation between knowledge about and attitudes
toward aging and the elderly among school students. We were also inte
rested in the impact of existing gerontological content in the curriculum
in shaping the relationship between high school students and the elderly.
In this study, the elderly person is defined as a person aged 65 years
and older.
Method
Participants
The queastionnare was opened by 1002 respondents; the response rate was
61 %. The non-randomized convenience sample 1 included 609 seconda
ry school adolescents from 3 secondary grammar schools and 3 vocatio
nal schools in Maribor, aged 15 to 19 years; i.e. high school students in the
first, second, third and fourth years; 43.2 % female and 56.8 % male. The
survey population consisted of 75.1 % secondary grammar school students
and 24.9 % students from vocational school programs.
Respondents were selected on the basis of probability; nevertheless,
given some lack of cooperation and other “mistakes”, the demographic
characteristics of the selected sample do deviate slightly from the char
acteristics of the target population. In the interest of better representa
tiveness of the sample data, we weighted cases to approximate the data to
the target population. Representativeness of the sample was guaranteed
on the basis of gender. On the basis of the data before and after weight
ing (Figure 1), it can be concluded that we chose a relatively appropriate
sample. Deviations from the sample of the target population are relatively
small, which was also confirmed by the minor lag between weights (min
imum weight is 0.76; maximum 1.73).
1 A non-randomized convenience sample are less desirable than randomized convenience
sample and does not involve random selection. The main consequence of this lack of infor-
mation is that we can’t generalize the results with statistical precision (Kalton and Vehovar,
2001: pp. 169–170).
120
learn. Thus, it is easier to change already adopted ageist observations in
children when they are not so deeply rooted.
The Present Study
The primary purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge about
aging and attitudes towards older people on a sample of Slovenian secon
dary school students. At the same time, we wanted to determine whether
there was a negative correlation between knowledge about and attitudes
toward aging and the elderly among school students. We were also inte
rested in the impact of existing gerontological content in the curriculum
in shaping the relationship between high school students and the elderly.
In this study, the elderly person is defined as a person aged 65 years
and older.
Method
Participants
The queastionnare was opened by 1002 respondents; the response rate was
61 %. The non-randomized convenience sample 1 included 609 seconda
ry school adolescents from 3 secondary grammar schools and 3 vocatio
nal schools in Maribor, aged 15 to 19 years; i.e. high school students in the
first, second, third and fourth years; 43.2 % female and 56.8 % male. The
survey population consisted of 75.1 % secondary grammar school students
and 24.9 % students from vocational school programs.
Respondents were selected on the basis of probability; nevertheless,
given some lack of cooperation and other “mistakes”, the demographic
characteristics of the selected sample do deviate slightly from the char
acteristics of the target population. In the interest of better representa
tiveness of the sample data, we weighted cases to approximate the data to
the target population. Representativeness of the sample was guaranteed
on the basis of gender. On the basis of the data before and after weight
ing (Figure 1), it can be concluded that we chose a relatively appropriate
sample. Deviations from the sample of the target population are relatively
small, which was also confirmed by the minor lag between weights (min
imum weight is 0.76; maximum 1.73).
1 A non-randomized convenience sample are less desirable than randomized convenience
sample and does not involve random selection. The main consequence of this lack of infor-
mation is that we can’t generalize the results with statistical precision (Kalton and Vehovar,
2001: pp. 169–170).
120
