ABSTRACT
Ageing comes with some indicators including decline in functions of the
organs which take its
toll virtually on every aspect of wellbeing of the ageing person
particularly if this important
and inevitable phase of life is not prepared for. Right perception of the
concept of ageing is
no doubt, the very first and perhaps, most important step towards healthy
ageing. Positive
perception of ageing by teachers will improve the standard of most ageing
teachers and also
put them in the right frame of mind as they age. The present study
examined the Influence of
Psycho-social Variables on Perception of Ageing among Teachers in Anambra
and AkwaIbom states. Activity, Functionalist and Psycho-social theory of
personality guided the study.
The sample comprised four hundred and two teachers (402) in Anambra state
and five
hundred and three (503) teachers in Akwa-Ibom state selected through
multi-stage sampling
technique. Five research instruments namely Psycho-social Variables on
Perception of
Ageing Questionnaire (PSVPAQ); Brief Ageing Perception Questionnaire
(B-APQ); Selfesteem Scale (SES); Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SRAS) and Emotional
Adjustment Bank (EAB)
were used to collect data. Seven hypotheses were tested. Descriptive
statistics, Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA), Independent t-test, Multiple Regression and Pearson
Product Moment
Correlation were used for data analyses. The study confirmed that there
was significant
difference due to gender and state of origin in the perception of ageing.
It was also shown
that there was significant difference due to state of origin in ageing
stereotypes. There was
significant composite influence of societal roles, ageing stereotypes and
socio-economic
status on perception of ageing. Perception of ageing had significant
influence on emotional
adjustment. Perception of ageing significantly influenced the self-esteem
of teachers. Positive
perception of ageing had significant impact on the health status of
teachers. Finally, the
study showed that there was significant difference due to gender and
state of origin in ageing
anxiety. It was recommended among others that there is need for welfare
as well as
awareness packages for teachers to have healthy perception of ageing and
adequately
prepare for such. Teachers’ gratuity and pension should be paid as soon
as they disengage
from service to enable them move into other areas of interest. Seminars
should be organized
for teachers periodically on issues of ageing to prepare their mind as
they advance in
chronological years.
Key Words: Psycho-social Variables, Ageing, Perception, Personality.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background to the Study
Ageing and the ageing process are aspects of human experiences which
begin the moment a
person
is born. Each day that passes makes a person one day older. The older a person
becomes
the nearer the person moves to that stage of life in which everything in the
person’s
makeup
and functions decline. Ageing is an important phase of life as it signals our
gradual
final
exit from the planet earth. Ageing from this perspective is seen as ongoing,
starting at
conception
and ending with death. It occupies the total life span, not merely the final
stage of
life.
Kart and Kinney (2005) confirmed that without the knowledge and understanding
of the
entire
life span, it may be difficult to understand the events of anyone’s life phase.
In this
sense,
ageing is studied to learn not only about the final phase of life, but also
about youth
and
middle years as these stages determine to a large extent how people age and
their
perception
of ageing.
According
to Olajide and Ayantunji (2016) most people are frightened and not comfortable
to
hear
that they are ageing or growing old. This is simply because it tends to suggest
advancement
in age, decline in the function of the organs of the body, and loss of
flexibility,
decline
in hearing, vision and lessen of muscular strength, flexibility of the skin and
blood
vessels,
appearance of wrinkles on the skin, etc. Osunde and Obiunu (2005) asserted that
all
the
negative indicators which show decline in the functions of the body organs due
to ageing
make
many adults to feel uncomfortable to be associated with ageing. This feeling
affects
many
people psychologically and socially and this is experienced through fear and
anxiety
over
ageing and death, emotionally traumatized due to physical and psychological
changes
associated
with ageing such as low self-esteem, reduced morbidity and self-worth,
aggression,
depression, among other challenges. The level at which a person is affected by
these
challenges may depend on the person’s disposition, preparedness and perception
of
ageing.
According
to Chrism (2016) perception is a subjective, active and creative process in
which
we
interpret what we sense by assigning meaning to sensory information through
which we
understand
ourselves and others. Every person perceives the world and approaches life
challenges
and events differently. Chrism (2016) posits that the differences in perception
are
influenced
by environmental variables which can be physical, psychological and social.
Such
variables
as socio-economic status, family background and position in the community,
educational
background, culture and societal beliefs and their interpretations, health
status,
emotional
status, position in the society, occupation, among others influence how we
perceive
life events. Denga in Osuji and Nweze (2014) confirmed that two people could
see a
thing
differently but each sees a reality that is unique to him or her and that is
the reality that
moderates
his or her behaviour.
Ajala
(2006) recognized that though all human societies recognize the roles of the
elderly in
social
relations but the perception of ageing, apart from being subjected to the wave
of
culture
change, is not the same thing in all human cultures. Traditionally, in Nigeria,
the
extended
family system has cared for the Nigerian elderly. Okumagba (2011) found that
the
family
still accounts for a large proportion of the support. Thus, most aged persons
expect
support
from their relatives, friends but most especially from their children. As a
result of
this,
the need for elderly age security from children was one of the motivations for
large
family
size in Nigeria. However, because of the declining economy, unemployment,
underemployment,
inflation among others, many children are no longer in a position to
provide
care and support for their aged parents and relatives while the family support
networks
are on decline. In the same token, urbanization and westernization have also
broken
down
the traditional sense of family responsibility.
However,
as a result of modernization, (influence by foreign culture) there was a change
in
family
structure in Nigeria which led to gradual disintegration of the concept of
extended
family
system. The traditional function of the family such as care and social support
of the
older
family members is gradually collapsing. Many old people are not responsible for
their
ageing,
some face health challenges that have made them total burden to their family
members,
some have been thrown out of their homes and tagged witches or wizards.
According
to Okoroafor (2015), in Calabar, Cross River state, thirteen elderly persons
were
picked
up from the street after being thrown out by their respective families,
allegedly
claiming
that they were witches. Along with this is the economic situation of most
children
which
makes it difficult for them to cater for their parents. And so the role of the
old peoples’
home
in the wave of gradual cultural shift and disintegration is very key. Old
peoples’ home
is
a multi-residence housing facilities intended for senior citizens. Even though
old peoples’
home
is un-African, it is a shameful state of affair that there has arisen a need
for old age
homes
in modern times. So in the wave of parental neglect and abandonment, the
importance
of
old peoples’ home cannot be over emphasized. Living in this home will give them
a little
bit
of care, sense of belonging, happiness, self-worth and help them to develop
positive
perception
of ageing.
The
body changes that signal ageing may be devastating and traumatic and this
creates fear
and
anxiety over ageing and death, thereby making anxiety a psychological variable
that
influence
perception of ageing. According to Wolitzky-Taylor, Castriotta, Lenze, Stanley
and
Craske
(2010) anxiety disorders are among the most common clinical problems reported
among
ageing persons, and their detrimental effects in late life are comparable to
those of
depression.
Indications of ageing anxiety include worrying about declining health, physical
function,
social connectedness, changing physical appearance including wrinkles, receding
hair
lines, grey hair, declining cognitive ability and depleting financial resources
(Cummings,
Kropf,
& DeWeaver 2000). Many teachers at mid-ages are already approaching
retirement
age
and therefore may be facing fear and anxiety over ageing.
Socioeconomic
status (SES) is the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is
key
in
determining the quality of life of older people and it has been found to affect
the
psychological
health of ageing persons (American Psychological Association, 2017).
Teachers
in Nigeria are not well paid which has placed them either at the middle or low
socioeconomic
status. Many of them find it very difficult to save out of their salaries and
make
meaningful investment that will sustain them when they retire. At mid-age, when
coming
close to the reality of disengaging from paid job, many face emotional trauma
which
affect
not only their personal life but also their work as their level of output
reduce to the
detriment
of the students under their care. Ageing at this situation may become a thing
of
worry
and pain, thereby creating negative perception of ageing.
Self-esteem
is a generalized evaluation of the self and it can strongly influence thoughts,
modes
and behaviour. Low self-esteem may hold one back from succeeding at work
because
one
does not believe in him/herself to be capable of success. By contrast, having a
healthy
self-esteem
can help a person achieve success because such a person navigates life with
positive,
assertive attitude and believe he/she can accomplish stated goals. Patrick and
Wemba
(2014) posits that although it is crystal clear that the amount and quality of
training
an
individual receives is a logical place to start for determining personnel
quality. It is equally
true
that the teachers’ feeling, behaviour, attached value and the environment
determine the
amount
of effort put in for the attainment of institutional objectives (Touama, 2014).
Teaching
is one of the most demanding profession and teachers who are the key players
deserve
every attention for continuous and improved output. Khani, Riaz and Saif (2015)
posits
that teachers with high self-esteem can teach the students in effective manner
because
it
creates confidence in their ability, attitudes, commitments and values. When a
teacher self
esteem
is affected by low or poor standard of living as evident in our society, it
reduces the
person’s
self-worth and efficiency especially as (s)he grows old.
Over
the years the Nigerian teacher has been struggling to meet up with basic
necessities of
life
due to poor remuneration such that the noble profession no longer even attract
first class
graduates
from our universities. Many teachers have this attitude that they are poorly
paid
and
so they find it difficult to save or make some investments that will sustain
them when
they
retire from paid job. This has made ageing a thing of worry to the extent that
some
falsify
their age to enable them stay longer in the service, because of fear of disengaging
and
not
having means of financial sustenance. Many who retired without proper financial
management
ended up on a low socio-economic status and this is not good for ageing
persons’
physical and psychological health. According to American Psychological
Association
(2017) those at the lower levels of socioeconomic status are often most likely
to
be
diagnosed with psychological disorder.
Teaching
is perhaps the most important profession in the society. The well-being of
today’s
teachers
affects the well-being of society tomorrow. Unless the well-being of individual
teacher
is improved, standard of education and that of the educational experience of
young
people
will suffer with far-reaching financial, economic and social consequences for
the
nation.
Ageing which signals retirement from full-time paid employment is a defining
moment
that marks the beginning of a life transition for many teachers. The strength
of selfperception of weakness sometimes associated with ageing is particularly
important for
teachers
where the professional experience acquired as a result of their age (in the
teaching
profession)
can be jeopardized or turned to redundancy or unwholesome liability as a result
of
unhealthy perception of ageing (Joye & Wilson, 2015).
The
teacher who leads the students to competence by teaching both the formal and
hidden
curriculum
is assumed to benefit the system of education tremendously as (s)he stays
longer
in
the system, and does not have to be badly affected psychologically, mentally,
socially and
health-wise
by their self-perception or the perception of anyone on ageing. Understanding
the
perception
of ageing by teachers therefore, will not only guarantee a better
conceptualization
of
this phenomenon, its intricacies, management and treatment; this knowledge can
also make
older
teachers learn and be positively disposed to ageing for improved work output.
Furthermore,
ageing is a highly individualized and complex process, yet it continues to be
stereotyped
due to cultural and societal imposed standards. According to Dionogi (2015)
stereotypes
are unchallenged myths or overstated beliefs associated with a category which
are
wide
spread, entrenched in verbal, written and visual contexts within society and in
contemporary
culture they are primarily negative, depicting later life as a time of
ill-health,
loneliness,
dependency and poor physical and mental health. Stereotypes of ageing include
assumptions
and generalizations about how people at or over a certain age should behave,
and
what they are likely to experience, without regard for individual differences
or unique
circumstances.
Examples are: old people have poor health with diminishing mental ability,
unattractiveness,
sexless, unhappy, have negative personality traits, lonely, behave like
children,
forgetful and boring, These beliefs are gradually internalized and consequently
they
influence
individual perceptions of their own ageing.
Since
stereotypes are culture-specific in affecting perception of ageing, it can be
argued that
perception
of ageing cannot also, be unconnected with the place of origin of individuals.
This
is
because where individuals reside or come from may have huge impacts on their
total way
of
life and expectations. To get the right perceptions of people on ageing
therefore ultimately
requires
putting into consideration such factors as individuals’ origin or place of
residence
(Chow
& Bae, 2011). Different cultures have different attitudes and practices
around ageing
and
death, and these cultural perspectives can have a huge impact on our
experiences and
perception
of ageing. Just as people’s place of birth or state of origin may determine
their
perception
of ageing due to cultural beliefs, societal values and socialization.
Discrimination
also exist between men and women in matters concerning education, health,
employment
and general societal roles making gender and state of origin a plausible
related
variables
that may influence ageing views. According to World Health Organization (2017),
gender
can be understood as the complex and differing pattern of roles,
responsibilities,
norms,
values, freedoms and limitations that defines what is thought of as “masculine”
and
“feminine”
throughout the life course and which all play a role as determinants of ageing.
Gender
is a social construct which classifies biological sex of men and women. It is
an
acquired
identity that is learned, changes over time, and varies widely within and
across
cultures.
Every
state is made up of groups and sub-groups of human settlements with peculiar
and
diverse
culture and role categorization. In many societies men are seen as being
strong,
occupy
position of power and authority, active, have autonomy, achievers and endure
while
women
are seen as being passive, weak, age fast, nurturing and adaptive. These
characteristics
are more favourable to men than women, they form the basis of socially
assigned
roles, determine how people see themselves and this may go a long way to
influence
how
they age. Thus, from research, gender seems to be a function of ageing (Schafer
&
Shippee,
2010; International Longevity Centre, 2014). There are many research work done
on
negative
and positive perception of ageing, but there are limited work on psycho-social
variables
that influence perception of ageing. It is against this background that this
study was
carried
out on the influence of psycho-social variables on perception of ageing among
teachers
in Anambra and Akwa-Ibom states.
1.1
Statement of the Problem
The inevitability of ageing and the fear of dying have haunted human
being and it has been a
human
dream to retard ageing and defy death. Ageing by its nature may breed anxiety
which
involves
fear and worries about the future of the individual as a result of near or
cessation in
active
working life, fear of death and losing loved ones. Ageing may come with either
happiness
over accomplishments or pain and sorrow over unfulfilled dreams, negligence and
failures
which may lead to aggression, depression, anxiety and in extreme case suicide.
Others
include dysfunctional family matters as well as psychological or behaviour
disorders
such
as depression, hypertension, identity crisis, alcoholism, loneliness, fast
ageing & illhealth occasioned at times by loss of good accommodation among
others (Inaja cited in Inaja
&
Chima 2013).
The
failure of many teachers to come to terms with the reality of ageing as they
advance
towards
retirement has brought untold hardships to many of them when they retire. Many
teachers
have low standard of living before and after retirement, this has brought
untold
hardship
and suffering as a result of their inability to pay life sustaining bills. The
present
economic
downturn in the country is becoming increasingly difficult for average Nigerian
worker
to make ends meet because of the inadequate wages and high inflation. Ageing
teachers
are worse as their entitlement are not usually paid immediately after
retirement.
Consequently
ageing which may not have been planned for adequately in many cases is
accompanied
by psycho-social and financial crisis.
A
teacher who has put in a good number of years in the service is expected to
have some
level
of financial comfort towards the end of the working years, but this may not be
the case
with
many teachers. The society equally looks down on teachers when it comes to
financial
matters.
This financial incapacitation and way the society underrates teachers have
affected
many
of them negatively. This has created low self-esteem, reduced self-worth,
depression,
aggression,
lack of dedication to duty, low social network and other challenges. These
problems
have caused reduced output, especially when teachers are advancing in
chronological
years. This may be one of the reasons for the poor performances of many
students
in public secondary schools today. Ageing teachers need to use their wealth of
experiences
to improve learning and academic performances of students, but this can only
happen
if there is job satisfaction and positive perception of ageing as they look
forward to
retirement.
Ageing,
equally, may come with concomitant health problems such as physical and mental
decline
due to the deterioration of biological make-ups of human beings. The above
mentioned
life events may affect ageing teachers negatively and make them to age in pain,
sadness,
ill-health, broken home, among other challenges.
Many
works have been carried out on the effects of positive and negative perception
of
ageing,
but there is gap in research on psycho-social variables that influence
perception of
ageing,
therefore this study sets out to ascertain the influence of psycho-social
variables on
perception
of ageing among teachers in Anambra and Akwa-Ibom states, Nigeria.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this
study was to determine the influence of psycho-social variables on
perception of ageing among
teachers in Anambra and Akwa-Ibom states. Specifically, the
study aims to:
1. examine differences in
the perception of ageing among teachers based on their gender
and state of origin.
2. investigate whether
state of origin/residence has any influence on ageing stereotypes
among teachers.
3. establish to what extent
the composite impact of societal roles, ageing stereotypes and
socio-economic status
influence perception of ageing among teachers in Anambra and
Akwa-Ibom states.
4. ascertain the impact of
perception of ageing on the emotional adjustment of teachers
in the two states.
5. ascertain whether
perception of ageing influence the self-esteem of teachers in
Anambra and Akwa-Ibom
states.
6. establish the impact of
positive perception of ageing on the health status of teachers in
the two states.
7. ascertain if there are
differences in ageing anxiety among teachers based on their
gender and state of origin.
Research Questions
The following research
questions guided this study:-
1.
what is the difference in
the perception of ageing among teachers based on their
gender and state of origin?
2. what is the difference
in ageing stereotypes due to state of origin/residence among
teachers?
3. to what extent will the
composite impact of societal roles, ageing stereotypes and
socio-economic status
influence the perception of ageing among teachers in Anambra
and Akwa-Ibom states?
4. to what extent does
perception of ageing influence the emotional adjustment of
teachers in Akwa-Ibom and
Anambra states?
5. to what extent does
perception of ageing influence the self-esteem of teachers in Anambra and Akwa-Ibom states?
6. to what extent does
positive perception of ageing influence the health status of
teachers in Akwa-Ibom and
Anambra states?
7. what is the difference
in ageing anxiety among teachers based on their gender and
state of origin?
Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses
guided this research work:-
1. there
will be no significant difference based on gender and state of origin in the
perception of ageing among
teachers.
2. there will be no
significant difference due to state of origin in ageing stereotypes
among teachers.
3. there will be no
significant composite influence of societal roles, ageing stereotypes
and socio-economic status
on perception of ageing among teachers in Anambra and
Akwa-Ibom states.
4. perception of ageing
will have no significant influence on the emotional adjustment of
teachers in Akwa-Ibom and
Anambra states.
5. perception of ageing
will not significantly influence the self-esteem of teachers in
Anambra and Akwa-Ibom
states.
6. positive perceptions of
ageing will not significantly impact the health status of
teachers in Akwa-Ibom and
Anambra states
7. there will be no
significant differences in ageing anxiety among teachers based on
their gender and state of
origin.
1.6 Scope and Delimitation
of the Study
The study was limited to
teachers in Anambra and Akwa Ibom states, Nigeria. Teachers
between ages 45-59 years
from randomly selected 35 secondary schools in Anambra state
and 36 secondary schools in
Akwa-Ibom states were used for this study. Teachers between
ages 45-59 years were used
because they are within the mid-ages and retirement age and
therefore may be facing
retirement crisis over ageing. Also for the study sample to be within
the school as retirement
starts at age 60. The study investigated the influence of psycho-social
variables on perception of
ageing among teachers in Anambra and Akwa-Ibom states. The
justification for choosing
the two states was based on some cultural differences on their
attitude towards ageing.
Many Igbo men and women from Anambra state accept ageing based
on societal status such as
grand-parenthood, chieftaincy titles, leadership positions and
having adult children,
while this is not the case in Akwa-Ibom state where such status does
not change their attitude
towards ageing, rather the women despite such status according to
oral interviews, see
themselves as being young and can compete with the young ones in
social activities.
1.7 Significance of the
Study
The results from this study
would be beneficial to educational psychologists, teachers,
guidance counsellors, men
and women in their mid-ages, policy makers and curriculum
planners.
To Educational
Psychologists, it would enable them to identify some of the psycho-social
challenges of the ageing
persons such as anxiety, low self-esteem, negative sterotypes and so
make appropriate referrals
to the proper professional bodies that can handle such problems to
help the ageing adjust
properly as they advance in chronological year. When the right therapy
is offered to an
emotionally traumatized ageing teacher, it will help to put him/her in the
right
frame of mind to offer good
services in his/her job which will be visible in the performances
of the students.
To the teachers this study
would expose them to various psycho-social variables that may
affect their ageing either
negatively or positively, so that they will be better equipped to face
the challenges of old age.
They would be armed with the relevant theories that would help
them to develop the right
mind set that would assist them to be responsible for their own
ageing. This is because
westernization is gradually affecting the traditional extended family
system and communal life
style where the elderly were taken care of by immediate and
extended family members,
but that system is eroding gradually. They should start early to
plan for retirement and
ageing by investing wisely. Teachers would be challenged to
inculcate in their students
such values as respect for the ageing, hard work, proper plan for
the future, maintaining
good social network, etc. as these will help them to avoid life of
regrets, despair and pain
as they age.
The Guidance Counsellors
would be exposed to some societal stereotypes which may have
posed challenges to people
not living out their full potentials. They will be better informed
and well equipped to give
proper counseling and right therapies that will put such people in
the right frame of mind to
live their life and feel fulfilled. Such people may likely accept
ageing positively.
Again, this research work
will be beneficial to men and women who are in their mid- ages.
The mid age comes with
biological changes that sprout some mental, physical and
psychological challenges
that affect these groups adjustment pattern. This study would
expose them to some of
these biological changes so that they can accept them as natural
phenomena, and so develop
the right frame of mind as they age.
Furthermore, the result of
this research work would also be beneficial to policy makers. It
will guide them to map out
strategies to help the expanding ageing population by giving prior
and proper orientation on
adjustment strategies before retirement. Government at all levels
should involve private
pension managers to manage the gratuity and pension of their workers.
This would improve
efficiency, prompt payment of teachers’ pension to reduce their
suffering after retirement
to enable teachers disengage from service with little or no crisis and
accept ageing positively.
1.8 Operational Definition
of Terms
The following terms were
operationally defined as used in the study.
· Ageing: - In the context of this
research work ageing is seen as the process of
advancement in
chronological years.
· Anxiety:-In this study anxiety is
taken as the fear and worry over advancement in
chronological age
· Emotional Adjustment:-In this work emotional
adjustment is the survival
mechanism or device by the
ageing to withstand the external and internal stressors or
identity crises they face
in the society as a result of ageing.
· Perception: - In this study perception
means the way people think about or
understand ageing and form
impressions based on their understanding.
· Psycho-social variables:-These are psychological and social factors that influence
perception of ageing.
However the areas used in this study are Anambra and AkwaIbom states.
Such factors as stereotype,
societal roles, socio-economic status, self-esteem, anxiety
and emotion.
· Retirement:- In this work retirement is
when a person disengages from paid
employment at the age of 60
years or having reached the statutory age of 35 years in
service
· Self-Esteem:- It is taken as the negative
or positive judgment or evaluation of the
ageing as a result of how
they perceive themselves or how they are perceived by
others.
· Societal Roles: - These are the functions
and positions the ageing is expected to
occupy as a result of their
new status such as grandparents, in-laws, etc.
· Socio-economic Status: - In this study
socio-economic status is how rich or poor a
person is; it is determined
by individual level of education and income.
· State of Origin: - This is the state a
person belongs to by birth. That is where his or
her parents come from.
· Stereotypes: - They are characteristics
such as old people are always sick, they
behave like children, they
are not sociable, frail, boring, dull, not sexy, forgetful,
unproductive, possessive,
wise, loving, caring, etc, ascribed to or used to label the
ageing because of their
advancement in chronological age without regard for
individual differences or
unique circumstances.
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