| Today's colleges and universities are inundated with both traditional students and returning adult students, including baby boomers and retirees (Hardin, 2008). This study utilized a mixed methods research methodology to explore and analyze the perceptions of faculty members and students regarding the learning characteristics and learning differences between traditional students (under the age of 25) and nontraditional students (25 and older) and how teaching/learning can be accommodated to fit all generations in an intergenerational classroom. The number of adults returning to college has increased dramatically over the past several years, thus changing the face of higher education (Hardin, 2008). This study used descriptive statistics to analyze the data. There were a total of 53 participants who took part in this study. These participants included 20 traditional students, 27 nontraditional students, and 6 faculty members. The participants received a consent form, a demographic form, and a five-point Likert scale survey. The participants responded to questions on perceptions toward student-faculty relationships with each other, perceptions toward traditional and returning adult students, and perceptions of faculty and students toward an intergenerational classroom. The students were asked to describe their interactions with each other in an intergenerational classroom. The results of the data analysis findings indicated that all students and faculty member participants preferred to be in a mixed-aged classroom, that traditional and nontraditional students learn differently, and that most students agreed that assignments should not be changed to accommodate students in an intergenerational classroom. Conversely, all faculty members agreed that assignments should be changed to accommodate an intergenerational classroom. |
