PROMOTING INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING BETWEEN THE ELDERLY AND CHILDREN THROUGH HOME-SCHOOL COLLABORATION: A STUDY IN A CHINESE RURAL COMMUNITY

Taking care of grandchildren has become an indispensable part of the life of the elderly in rural areas. Although the elderly in rural areas can care for their grandchildren and share parenting responsibilities, the "digital divide" between them and generation differences leads to obvious estrangement and conflict in their values and behaviors. Since 2019, Class 1, Grade 3 of B Town Primary School in Wuyi County, Zhejiang Province, has carried out a series of intergenerational learning activities in the form of home-school cooperation embedded in the "Hello, Winter Vacation!" research project. These intergenerational learning activities encourage grandparents and grandchildren to learn together. We used an interpretive inquiry to explore how participants from a primary school implemented an intergenerational project and learned from its impact. Based on in-depth interviews with 2 teachers, 20 grandchildren, and 22 grandparents, four main findings emerged: (1) Expanding the learning resources, enriching and diversifying learning content, and integrated learning resources; (2) Grandparents' development of learning interests, motivation, and behaviors; (3) Grandchildren deepening their understanding of older people and enhancing intergenerational relations; (4) The construction of a learning family promoting home-school collaboration and the development of lifelong education. As the proportion of the elderly population continues to grow in rural areas, intergenerational learning shows its great potential in promoting the development of a sustainable society. It also provides new ideas and perspectives for the development of rural elderly education. This insight suggests that researchers should contribute more to this emerging field of research and practice.