隨著醫療及社會的進步，國人壽命顯著延長，我國到了2009年年底，六十五歲以上人口數已經高達兩百四十多萬人，占總人口比率約10.7％。而且台灣的結婚率與生育率不斷下降，許多年青人在經濟壓力下不願意生小孩，且愈來愈晚婚，使得台灣今天已經是全世界生育率最低的國家了。目前國內人口結構已呈現高齡少子女化的第四階段人口轉型(Demographic Transition)現象，無疑帶給社會在經濟、醫療及家庭上極大的衝擊。

老齡化是工商業社會發展的成就與無可避免的趨勢，學者們在關於老化的研究下有許多的政策與論述並對老人的休閒與活動提出了許多的對策，在這些相關的對策中，我們更需要重視必須以教育的方式使國人準備好如何面對社會高齡化的嚴峻挑戰。

針對許多對於銀髮族的研究報告都偏向於老人健康照護、老人休閒活動、老人社會參與等議題，本研究以生產性老化、積極老化等理論之立論為基礎來探討台灣在快速的進入老齡化社會時，銀髮族在退休與即將退休之前對於再持續接受教育的看法、需求與意願，本研究以「田野調查」隨機選取台灣北、中、南部約共56位即將屆乎退休年齡或已退休之老人作「深度訪談」，並配合「官方資料收集」、「參與觀察」、「行為活動洞察」等方法對於台灣老人的生活形態、經濟狀況、經濟生產再出發等現況，對再投入或延續生產之意願與接受教育問題等作一番探討，以期發現一個對老人教育的創新服務模式。

本研究發現老人對教育學習的參與意願，其健康狀況、經濟狀況與教育程度具有相當程度的影響，且積極活動的老人不管在心智上或生理上都傾向擁有較健康的生活，同時，在目前台灣設立過多的大專院校在少子化的趨勢下即將必要面臨招生的窘境，教育部鼓勵這些學校積極轉型等因素底下，我們可以將這些大專院校轉型而招收高齡者，提供與高齡學習有關之教育學程，如此一來可以解決學校與教師職員即將面臨生存的困境、二來提供銀髮族另一個終生教育學習的機會與場域、三來可以延續老年人的經驗與技藝之傳承、最後還能為社會提供一股生產的活力。

With advance medical care system and highly development of the society, sophisticated elderly care in Taiwan prolong the average life span of Taiwanese people. By the end of 2009, according to the MoI research data, people over 65-year of age has reached 2.4 million and was at about 10.7% of its total population. The marriage and birth rate are consistently falling in Taiwan, many younger people choose not to have children due to heavy financial pressure, and some of them will get married late. Taiwanese currently has the lowest birth rate in the world and such reasons might worsen the situation. Currently, the population structure in Taiwan has already reached the 4th stage of Demographic Transition of aging with very low birth and death rate, the situation is in no doubts has brought a significant impact in economic, medical care and family relationship to the society.

The aging population structure is an achievement of a highly developed society but it has also posted a challenge to such society and to the government. Researchers have done many studies and presented many solutions to better respond to the unstoppable impacts, that includes postpone the retirement, encourage child birth, improve the health care system, encourage the elderly retirement activities, stimulate the social bond to the elderly and attendance to the education system. For all these solutions, how to prepare an elderly person in facing the aging society by an educational way might be considered a much more important solution.

Many studies are focusing on issues in elderly care, leisure activities and social attendance instead of education. This study is based on the theory of Productive Aging and Active Aging in extend to education. We are trying to find out how Taiwanese elderly looking at continuing education, their needs and willingness of receiving the education near and after their retirement.

We are trying find out how government policies, social institutions, elderly people and their families are facing the fast aging Taiwanese society? This study randomly picks up 56 retired or near retired people at the age of over 55 from north, center and south part of Taiwan. We will perform the “in depth interview”, “in depth observation”, “behavior observation” and with “official data mining” as methods of study. We are then trying to find out if there is a new service model in elderly education by research in elderly life style, economic situation, economic reproductive and willingness on rejoin in social production.

This study found out the willingness of Taiwanese elderly in attending the continuing education programs has a lot to do with their health, financial situation and education level. And we found out more active elderly are living a healthier life style either mentally or physically. More over, many colleges in Taiwan are facing problems of finding new students due to the low birth rates. We could turn these problem colleges into institutions that offer continuing education for older people. And this would provide solutions for 1. Survival of some colleges, teachers and faculties; 2. Provide opportunities and places for lifelong study for elderly; 3. Preserve the experiences and special techniques of elderly and last to provide the extra productivities to the sociality.

賴□慧。〈我國高齡者學習需求及其相關因素〉。國立臺灣師範大學教育研究所碩士論文，台北：未出版，1990。
黃國彥、林美珍。〈台灣地區老人學習需求與內涵〉。國立嘉義師範學院教育部委託專案調查研究，嘉義：未出版， 1991。
郭昱均、高淑貴。〈高雄市長青學苑高齡者生活型態與學習需求〉。台灣大學農業推廣學報，20,57-80, 1993。
黄富順。《成人心理與學習》。台北：師大書苑， 1995。
黃富順。〈終生學習的意義、緣起、發展與實施〉。載於《終生學習與教育改革》，頁1-32。台北：中華民國成人教育學會，1996。
陳清美。〈高齡學習者對學習環境偏好之研究〉。國立中正大學成人及繼續教育研究所碩士論文，嘉義：未出版，2001。
陳肇男。〈台灣老人休閒生活與生活品質〉。人口學刊第26 期，民92，96-136，2003。
陳順成。〈北高兩市社區大學學員學習需求、學習現況及繼續進修意願現況及繼續進修意願之比較研究〉。國立高雄師範大學成人教育研究所碩士論文，高雄：未出版，2003。
張慧芬。〈台中縣市成人生活型態與學習需求關係之研究〉。國立中正大學成人及繼續教育研究所碩士論文，嘉義：未出版，2003。
李宗派。〈老化理論與老人保健〉。實踐大學民生學院、老人生活保健研究中心及啟智專業研究中心。身心障礙研究期刊2004, Vol.2, No.2，2004。
王麗萍。〈嘉義縣高齡者的學習需求之調查研究-以老人日間照顧中心為例〉。國立中正大學高齡者教育所碩士論文，嘉義：未出版，2005。
魏惠娟。〈我國人口結構變遷與教育政策之研究（整合型計畫）子計畫八、高齡者教育發展之研究〉。教育部委託專案計畫，台北市：2006。
陳宗鵠、徐南麗、林士堅、何中華。〈台北市高齡者學習需求特性之探討－以台北市萬華區老松國小學區社區為例〉，台北市：2006。
黃富順、黃明月。〈邁向高齡社會老人教育政策白皮書〉。 台北市:教育部社會教育司，2006。
教育部。〈因應人口結構變遷之教育對策〉。台北市:教育部，2006
李雅慧。〈新型態的退休後活動─法國第三年齡俱樂部（Le club du troisième âge）〉。邁向高齡社會，落實老人教育政策白皮書：2007 高齡教育整合與創新研討會會議論文集，2007。
黃富順、林麗惠、梁芷瑄。〈我國屆齡退休及高齡者參與學習需求意向調查〉。教育部委託專案計畫，台北市:2008 。http://moe.senioredu.moe.gov.tw/ezcatfiles/b001/img/img/205186107.pdf
舒昌榮。〈由積極老化觀點論我國因應高齡社會的主要策略∼從「人口政策白皮書」談起〉。內政部社區發展季刊122期，2008。
陳寬政。〈人口老化的原因與結果〉。 人文與社會科學簡訊2009年3月。
羅紀琼。〈台灣人口老化問題〉。中央研究院經濟研究所，孫運璿基金會，台北市:2009。
吳明烈、李靄慈、賴弘基。〈台閩地區成人教育調查報告〉。教育部委託專案計畫，台北市:未出版，2009。
吳佳芳。〈從家戶到機構的安養模式:以台北市銀髮村老人自費安養中心為例〉。國立清華大學人類學研究所碩士論文，新竹市:未出版，2008。
李薇。〈從老化理論的整合觀點看老年生活歷程的改變: 以休閒生活為例〉。國立成功大學老年學研究所碩士論文，台南市:未出版，2009。
陳榮方。〈量化研究方法 — 統計資料分析〉。國立高雄應用科技大學企業管理系，高雄市:未出版，2009。
Atchley R. C. A continuity theory of normal aging. The Gerontologist 29(2): 183-190,1989
Atchley, Robert C. Continuity and Adaptation in Aging: Creating Positive Experiences. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-6632-4,1999.
Coolican, P. Self-planned learning: Implications for the future of adult education. Syracuse, NY: Educational Policy Research Center, Syracuse University Research Corporation,1974.
Cumming, E., & Henry, W.E., & Damianopoulos. A formal statement of disengagement theory. In E. Cumming & W.E. Henry (Eds), Growing old: The process of disengagement. New York: Basic Books,1961.
Goodrow, B. A. The perceived learning needs and interests of the elderly in Knox County, Tennessee (Doctoral dissertation, University of Tennessee, 1974). Dissertation Abstracts International, 35, 5514B,1975.
Havighurst, R. J. Changing status and roles during the adult life cycle: Significance for adult education. In H. Burns (Ed.), Sociological backgrounds of adult education. Chicago: Center for the Study of Liberal Education of Adults, 1964.
Havighurst, R. J. Developmental tasks and education. New York: McKay,1972.
Hiemstra, Roger. Continuing education for the aged: A survey of needs and interests of older people. Adult Education, 22, 100-109,1972.
Hiemstra, Roger. Educational planning for older adults: A survey of expressive vs. instrumental preferences. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 4, 147-156, 1973.
Hiemstra , Roger. Older adult learning: Instrumental and expressive categories. Department of Adult and Continuing Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Educational Gerontology, 1: 227-236, 1976
Londoner, C. A. Survival needs of the aged: Implications for program planning. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 2, 113-117,1971.
McClusky, H. Y. Education for aging: The scope of the field and perspectives for the future. In S. Grabowski & W. D. Mason (Eds.), Learning for aging. Washington, DC: Adult Education Association of the USA and ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education, 1974.
Riley M.W., Foner A. & Riley J.W. The aging and society paradigm. In: Bengtson V.L. & Schaie K.W.(eds.) Handbook of Theories of Aging, 327-43 Springer, New York, 1999.
Rowe J. & Kahn R. Successful aging. The Gerontologist, 27: 433-40, 1997.
Warren Thompson. Encyclopedia of Population. 2. Macmillan Reference. pp. 939–940. ISBN 0-02-865677-6, 2003.
White House Conference on Aging, 1971. Toward a national policy on aging (Final Report, Vol. 2). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1973.
孝恩文化基金會。〈高齡社會的定義〉。http://www.xiao-en.org/cultural/magazine.asp?cat=31&loc=zh&id=287, 2005
謝蕙蓮。〈要把關了 大學入學最快明年訂門檻〉。聯合晚報， 2007年8月8日。
王月魂著，李國賓譯。〈閃耀中的銀髮市場-亞洲老年消費力報告〉。台北市：財訊 。2007。
〈銀髮族商機全球新金礦〉。工商時報，2008年5月30日 。
〈搶賺銀色財富〉。今週刊592期，2008年4月28日。
〈未來消費新力軍-銀髮族〉。實力媒體，2008年10月9日。
〈男怕婚、女不嫁?! -- 十大擇偶理財新指標〉。1111人力銀行新聞稿 2008年4月23日。http://www.1111.com.tw/zone/pr/headline.asp?autono=1763
〈中國現代化網〉。現代化理論。2010。ttp://www.modernization.com.cn/lilun.htm

內政部統計處

老人狀況調查報告。2005
97年底人口結構分析(內政部統計處內政統計通報2009第4週)
2008年底扶養比老化指數之國際比較(內政部統計處內政統計通報2009第4週)
97年離婚者按結婚年數統計 (內政部統計處內政統計通報2009第22週)
98年嬰兒出生狀況統計(內政部統計處內政統計通報2010第6週)
98年底人口結構分析(內政部統計處內政統計通報2010第4週)
http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/week/list.htm