Leading learning beyond the classroom: the barriers and benefits to intergenerational practice

This thesis adds to an existing body of knowledge aiming to provide a deeper understanding around the value of intergenerational practice. The study reviews the benefits and barriers to the planning and delivery of intergenerational practice to further understand why the UK lags so far behind other countries in this area. Although this study was undertaken as the world slowly exited from the Covid-19 pandemic, the lack of intergenerational practice in the UK is not a new concern. In 2019, United For All Ages highlighted in a report that, despite variations in demographics, Britain emerged as the most age-segregated nation globally. At the same time, Castiello et al. emphasised the innate social nature of people, highlighting how fostering positive connections between young and old within a nurturing setting can fulfil the emotional needs of both age groups, reminding us that people are “wired to be social” (2010, p. 1). Given that both individuals and communities benefit greatly from forging meaningful intergenerational relationships the topic of intergenerational practice is actually an area of great importance (DeVore, Winchell and Rowe, 2016). This research employed a sequential, exploratory case study approach conducted over three distinct phases. Data was gathered via questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, a learning walk, autonomy audit and a personality quiz. The study started off with 42 participants who responded to the questionnaire having been located through purposive sampling. From there, the participants were narrowed down to 2 who met the full criteria for the case studies. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that a general lack of training opportunities in the field has contributed to the gap in knowledge and understanding around the benefits of intergenerational practice. At present there is no intergenerational policy in England and the literature evidences that it is not a government priority, with one particular pilot study involving 12 local authorities being terminated before completion. Early years settings often place a heavy emphasis on policy compliance and regulatory inspections, which can sometimes influence the focus of their work. Currently, there is no intergenerational safeguarding framework for staff to follow and the data reveals that this is seen as a barrier, making staff nervous to embrace this form of practice. The findings from this study suggest that those settings with highly qualified staff, a high level of autonomy, confident enough to defend their practice and unafraid of creating innovative curriculum choices, were more likely to engage with intergenerational practice.