Education, well-being, and meaning in life: the case of a senior university in Portugal

Abstract

Abstract Research in the field of adult education has shown the positive impact of formal education on overall well-being. However, research on the impact of non-formal education remains scarce, particularly among older people. Given the phenomenon of an increasingly global ageing population, this ex-post facto correlational study aims to investigate how participation in non-formal education through senior or third age universities has a transformative potential on subjective well-being (SWB), self-esteem, health self-efficacy, and meaning in life for those attending such educational institutions in Portugal. Sixty seniors participated in the study, evenly split between users of a senior university (SU) and seniors who did not attend an SU or similar institution. Data were collected using internationally recognised questionnaires appropriate to the studied variables. The results show substantial effects in the SU attendance group on life satisfaction, negative affect, health self-efficacy, and the search for meaning in life compared to the control group. No significant differences were found for positive affect, as an affective component of SWB, self-esteem, or for the presence of meaning in life, with small effect sizes. The study concludes that senior universities contribute positively, particularly in the cognitive dimension of SWB, to health self-efficacy and to a dimension of meaning in life, supporting their role as contexts for active and healthy ageing and personal development. The need for further research on the topic is highlighted in order to overcome the identified limitations.