Page 13 - IJPS-9-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Barriers to learning at a U3A in Lebanon

did not meet the eligible criteria—“experiencing barriers crystals — they capture multiple observations or facets”
to participation in older adult learning” and “enrolled at (Braun & Clarke, 2021, p. 13). The decision to use RTA
the U3A for at least two terms” — this study only included was based on its usefulness in framing personal accounts
the responses of ten participants. The ten informants in broader social contexts (Braun & Clarke, 2022). RTA
consisted of two males and eight females. Most held at consists of six steps (Byrne, 2022).
least a bachelor’s degree and came from a middle-class This study followed a deductive approach to RTA
background due to their past white-collar professional that, to some extent, is inspired by but transcends Cross’
positions before retirement. Table 1 presents basic (1981) typology of barriers: institutional, dispositional,
information on each research participant. and contextual. However, data analysis mainly drew on a
All informants consented electronically to be interviewed structurationist perspective of barriers (Giddens, 1984),
online using the Zoom platform. U3A members are tech- where they are understood as (un)intended consequences
savvy since their registration process at the U3A occurs of (inter)actions among institutional agents. Hence, data
online. Thus, no member was left uninformed about the analysis was not only cognizant of the individual and
study. At the start of each interview, one of the authors structural nature of late-life learning barriers (Boulton-
introduced the study and guaranteed the informants’ right Lewis et al., 2016) but also premised on the duality of
to skip a question, end the meeting, or withdraw from the structure whereby individuals (re)produce structures
study without any aftermath or having to provide a reason. while acting within structures (Giddens, 1984). This
In addition, each informant was given a pseudonym of theoretically guided analytical approach overcame the
their choice used during the interview to safeguard their individual/structural dichotomy at the intersection
anonymity. Interviews lasted approximately 40 min and of dispositional, situational, and institutional barriers
were transcribed afterward and analyzed using NVivo. The through the following steps. First, a familiarization with
relevant parts of the interviews concern questions soliciting interview data, and second, following thorough and
challenges that informants encountered on various levels repeated readings, the initial codes were laid down so
(educational and social) at the U3A. that observations were coded as barriers. After grouping
different barriers, the third and final step was to generate
4.3. Reflexive thematic analysis themes, review them, and revisit the codes’ distribution
across such themes. Table 2 categorizes the emergent
Data analysis followed a “reflexive thematic analysis” themes — interactions involving learners with teachers
(RTA), constituting a type of content analysis with a high and administrators and those involving learners together
theoretical flexibility. RTA shows affinity toward a critical — which shall be presented in the subsequent two sections.
orientation for qualitative research, is interpretative, and
deepens the understanding of individual experiences by 5. Results
identifying patterns and themes in a data set (Braun &
Clarke, 2019). RTA distinguishes themes from codes in 5.1. Barriers: Interactions involving learners with
the knowledge production process, whereby codes are teachers and administrators
“entities that capture (at least) one observation, display The first theme of barriers this study identified are those
(usually just) one fact,” while themes “are like multi-faceted emerging in (un)intended consequences that originate

Table 1. Details of research informants

Pseudonym Age Marital status Living arrangement Educational attainment
Maria 66 Married Living with family Master’s degree
Shaker 74 Married Living with family Bachelor’s degree
Nour 67 Married Living with family Master’s degree
Laura 56 Married Living with family Bachelor’s degree
Samsoum 70 Married Living with family Bachelor’s degree
Antar 65 Single Living alone Highschool
Joumana 57 Married Living alone Bachelor’s degree
Christine 57 Married Living with family Master’s degree
Thérèse 56 Partnered Living with partner Bachelor’s degree
Oula 59 Married Living with family Bachelor’s degree

Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.375