Ljujic, Bojan, Miljković, Jovan, Todorović, Nataša, Perišić, Natalija, Janković, Brankica, Manić, Ljiljana, Bronwell, Patricia, Marmedal, Wenche, St. Vizev, Krasimir, Rusac, Silvia, Podgorelec, Sonja, Qirjako, Gentiana, Mackowicz, Jolanta, Despotović, Nebojša, Milićević Kalašić, Aleksandra, Stepanović Zaharijevski, Dragana, Rašević, Mirjana, Devedžić, Mirjana, Dinić, Dragana, Dragišić Labaš, Slađana, Vračević, Milutin, Nešić, Dejan, Mazić, Sanja, Vukčević Marković, Maša, Boričić, Katarina, Stoiljković Gnjatović, Jelena, and Pavlović, Suzana
Univerziteti za treće doba, iako nisu jedini provajderi obrazovanja namenjenog starijoj populaciji, predstavljaju značajni stub obrazovanja ove osobene ciljne grupe. Posle više od tri decenije osnivanja prvog univerziteta za treće doba u Srbiji, zakonomernosti dinamike razvoja sistema obrazovanja odraslih deluju i u ovom delu njegovog podsistema. Shodno društvenim promenama, menja se broj institucija koje se svrstavaju u kategoriju univerziteta za treće doba, ponuda njihovih programa, kao i geografska rasprostranjenost ovih institucija, a time i dostupnost njihove obrazovne ponude starijoj populaciji.Namera ovoga rada je da utvrdikarakteristike obrazovne ponudeuniverziteta za treće doba: njihovu distribuciju na teritoriji Republike Srbije, programsku orijentaciju, organizacione oblike realizacije obrazovne aktivnosti i načine na koje su prilagođeni ciljanoj populaciji. U metodološkom pogledu, istraživanje se oslanja na kvalitativnu istraživačku paradigmu, u okviru koje je primenjena multipla studija slučaja kao model istraživanja, a kao metoda korišćena je analiza sadržaja, tačnije, analiza sadržaja veb sajtova obrazovne ponude univerziteta za treće doba. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na nedovoljnu i nejednaku distribuciju univerziteta za treće doba, ograničeni raspon obrazovnog sadržaja koji se nudi starima u različitim delovima Srbije, kao i na tradicionalne oblike realizacije nastave (uglavnom kursevi i ređe individualna nastava). Obrazovna ponuda je uglavnom prilagođena potrebama starije populacije kroz manja finansijska sredstva potrebna za participaciju u programu, u nekim slučajevima i mogućnost plaćanja na rate, kao i realizaciju nekih programa u prepodnevnim časovima. Rezultati istraživanja otvaraju pitanja načina stimulisanja povećanja broja univerziteta za treće doba, njihove dalje programske i organizacione diverzifikacije, kao i načina na koje bi se mogle otkloniti potencijalne barijere za participaciju starih, odnosno, većeg prilagođavanja karakteristika obrazovne ponude potrebama starije populacije. Universities for the third age, although not being the exclusive providers of education intended for elderly, represent an important pillar of education referring this particular target group. After more than three decades of the establishment of the first university for the third age in Serbia, the developmental dynamics of the adult education system regulative is also evident in this particular subsystem. In accordance with social changes, the number of institutions classified as universities for the third age, the offer of their programs, as well as the geographical distribution of these institutions, and thus the availability of their educational offer to the older population, are changing. The purpose of this work is to determine the characteristics of the educational offer of universities for the third age: their distribution on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, program orientation, organizational forms of realization of educational activities and ways in which they are adapted to the target population. In terms of methodology, the research relies on a qualitative research paradigm, within which a multiple case study was applied as a research model, and content analysis was used as a method, more precisely, content analysis of the websites of the university's educational offer for the third age. The research results indicate insufficient and unequal distribution of universities for older persons, limited range of educational content offered to older persons in different parts of Serbia, as well as traditional forms of teaching (mainly courses and less frequently individual teaching). The educational programme on offer is mainly adapted to the needs of the older population through smaller financial resources required for participation in the programme, in some cases the possibility of paying in instalments, as well as the realization of some programmes in the morning hours. The results of the research open up issues of how to stimulate the increase in the number of universities for the third age, their further programmatic and organizational diversification, as well as ways in which potential barriers to the participation of older persons could be removed, that is, greater adjustment of the characteristics of the educational programme on offer to the needs of the older population.