This paper presents a summary and evaluation of Martha Tyler John's book, Geragogy: A Teaching For The Elderly. The review proceeds by offering a summary of each chapter followed by a brief evaluation of the chapter; it concludes with a final "Evaluation" section in which the book is evaluated as a whole.
Before proceeding to the general review, a feeling of the thrust and flavor of the book can be provided by the following quote from John's introduction to her book:
Learning is ageless! People of all age levels are curious and can enjoy the experience of learning new information... Can opportunities for expanding [the minds of the frail elderly] be provided so that their spirits are enriched and they can become a part of the dream realized. (John, 1988, p.1)
What should be noted from the foregoing quote is that John's book is devoted to providing means, techniques, methods, and tools which teachers can use toward the goal of providing very old populations of learners with not only education but a life-enriching experience. This is an important goal that is not much discussed in the educational literature, a fact that makes her book a welcome change.
In the first fifteen pages of the book, John provides a rationale for teaching the elderly: (1) It maximizes their contribution to society; (2) It enriches the overall quality of their lives; (3) It provides that sense of self-fulfillment that comes with learning something new; (4) It can help them maintain better mental and physical health; (5) By alleviating some of the isolation and sense of purposelessness, the elderly maintain better health which, in turn, reduces the nations' costs of providing health care for the population; (6) It provides the elderly with experiences in which they can create, and by doing so, contribute creative products to society.
John also discusses the need for teaching strategies that are relevant for elderly people whose mental faculties, ...