The gener@tions project
an educational initiative surrounding aging among brazilian students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47236/2594-7036.2026.v10.2124Keywords:
Aged, Attitude, Education, Educational Gerontology, Intergenerational relationshipsAbstract
Negative attitudes toward ageing and old age are often formed during childhood. This study aimed to examine changes in children's attitudes toward older adults following participation in the Gener@tions Project, a gerontology initiative developed in a public school in Brazil involving school students, undergraduate gerontology students, and older adults from a University of the Third Age (U3A). A mixed-method, quasi-experimental study without a control group was conducted with 118 Year 6 students. Data collection included a sociodemographic questionnaire, pre- and post-intervention assessments using the Todaro Scale for Children’s Attitudes Toward Older People, and qualitative analysis of activity-related materials. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated changes in the total score (z = −2.882, p = 0.004) and in the Cognition domain (z = −2.443, p = 0.015). Mean scores increased most in the Social Relationship domain. Qualitative content analysis generated 307 codes organized into two analytical categories, highlighting reflections on ageing, recognition of the diversity of older adults, and positive intergenerational interactions. These findings suggest that educational initiatives combining content on ageing with intergenerational interaction may be associated with changes in children's attitudes toward older adults in school contexts.Downloads
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Copyright (c) 2026 Laura Matos Cavalcante Bueno, Gabriela Cabett Cipolli, Meire Cachioni
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