The effect of intergenerational program in an elementary school on the attitude toward community activities in their junior high school days

A case report of senior volunteers engaged in reading picture book REPRINTS

Abstract

  This study examines the long-term effect of an intergenerational program with Senior Volunteer Picture Book Readers “REPRINTS” on junior high school students’ community activities in their junior high school days. Questionnaires were administered to 181 first-year junior high school students from Kawasaki City who were divided into two groups to investigate intergenerational effects. The “exchange experienced group” comprised 55 students who had participated in intergenerational exchanges through the REPRINTS program in elementary school. The “exchange non-experienced group” comprised 126 students who did not participate in these exchanges. Path analysis revealed that intergenerational exchanges have positive effects on students’ attitudes toward community activities, including familiarity with senior volunteers, interest in reading picture books, and views on elderly people. Furthermore, the effect was stronger for female students than it was for male students. These results suggest that to understand the effects on youths’ attitude toward community activities, it is important to consider affective and cognitive process such as their attributes, interests in the intergenerational program, and familiarity with senior volunteers.