Page 14 - IJPS-9-3

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

Table 2. Themes, definitions and sub‑themes
Themes Definitions Sub‑themes
Interactions involving Barriers generated in learners’ (inter) actions with teachers and • Accessibility
learners with teachers administrators. They emerge in (un) intended consequences • Class protocol
and administrators that originate in institutional agents’ (inter) actions, including • Curricula issues
learners, teachers, and administrators. • Teachers and teaching methods
• Language of instruction
Interactions involving Barriers generated in learners’ (inter) actions together. They • Unwillingness/inability to socialize
learners together are engendered by (un) intended consequences that originate • Social bias and prejudice
in the (inter) actions involving mainly learners with other
learners.

in the (inter)actions of institutional agents, including described as “infantilizing.” To avoid such communication,
learners, teachers, and administrators. Regarding such Maria misses the sessions whenever she is late. She thus
barriers, the informants cited accessibility to campus, wished for leniency and understanding for older learners
class protocol, the language of instruction, curricula, and who arrive late. Nevertheless, Laura, Samsoum, and Nour
teachers and teaching methodologies. insisted that the class protocol be strengthened further
to reduce late arrivals, classroom chatters, and phone
Barriers pertaining to accessibility to campus were
physical and impeded informants’ timely attendance at disturbances.
their chosen classes. Older learners living outside the Apart from timely attendance, finding a parking spot,
capital, Beirut, experienced congested traffic on their way and respecting the class protocol, making the most out of
to the U3A and were often confined to their cars for over this learning experience depends on learners’ language
an hour. Moreover, as Maria and Shaker were often late to skills; hence, the barrier of the language of instruction.
classes, they claimed that traffic was not the only reason The U3A attracts older adults with higher-than-average
for their delay but also pointed out that the difficulty of educational attainment who tend to speak one foreign
finding adequate parking space was even a more significant language besides their native one. Some informants
obstacle: “the thing is you go around and around to find a highlighted that the language of instruction is decisive for
parking, but there is none. No parking spaces on the streets their choice of classes, regardless of their interest in the
neither in parking lots” (Maria). Indeed, traffic and lack of subject. Samsoum, for instance, pointed out that while
parking spaces make the U3A less accessible to the point scientific subjects are typically offered in English, topics
where participants often skip sessions altogether for fear of within humanities and the arts are offered in Arabic and
disturbing the classroom, breaching the class protocol, and, that this resulted in some tension between those who are
as a result, being reproached by the U3A administration or proficient in Arabic and others who are more comfortable
teachers. studying in English. Many older Lebanese speak French as
Accessibility and class protocol intertwined in a rather a second language rather than English and, consequently,
complex way, especially for participants who wished struggle with English courses. Case in point, Nour and
to follow the recommendations in an administrative Laura are two participants who make their case from
document that proposes guidelines for proper conduct opposite sides. Nour has limited knowledge of Arabic
during learning sessions. Concerning this protocol, and can only attend classes in English. Meanwhile, Laura’s
informants raised two opposite notions. On the one English skills leave room for improvement, as she is more
hand, learners expressed support for implementing the comfortable in classes instructed in Arabic.
class protocol because it serves a much-needed function. In addition to the language of instruction, curricula
For instance, Nour remarked that when learners arrived contributed their share to the barriers informants
late, they disturbed the learning session as their entrance experience at the U3A. The curriculum content was
interrupted the teacher or rendered the teacher’s voice deemed relatively boring by some participants for lack
inaudible for a short while. On the other hand, Maria, who of what they called the “wow effect.” Despite the richness
lived far away from the learning venue, disagreed with and diversity of the topics offered at the U3A, Joumana
Nour and claimed that she was often late due to traffic, and Antar claimed that when they returned home, their
something that she had no control over, and was regretful inspiration did not last long: “the times when I was really
that her late arrivals solicited negative communications blown away or wowed by the information that is being
from the U3A administration, a reaction which she presented were few.” Some participants did not remember

Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023) 8 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.375