Training the Next Wave of Social Gerontologists: Methods for Teaching and Conducting Qualitative Research

Until recently, individuals who study aging have been trained in traditional disciplines (e.g., sociology or psychology). Over the last two decades, a growing number of interdisciplinary doctoral programs in gerontology have emerged, producing a new kind of discipline and scholar (Ewen and Carr, 2010). While Sterns and Ferraro (2009) suggest that gerontologists are those who are committed to the “science of aging” regardless of discipline, more and more scholars and professionals are choosing to receive doctoral degrees specifically in gerontology over traditional disciplinary degrees. Although the evolution of gerontology, including what it means to be a gerontologist, has been studied and debated for decades (Achenbaum, 2010; Achenbaum & Levin, 1989; Ferraro, 2006; Frank, 1946; Holstein & Minkler, 2003; Kleemeier, 1965), the field is now at a point where a growing number of scholars have completed doctoral degrees in gerontology and entered the workforce. Ferraro (2006) noted that the new generations of scholars emerging from doctoral programs in gerontology will change the landscape of gerontological research, education, and practice. Similar to disciplines such as sociology and psychology, gerontology has overwhelmingly favored the quantitative aspects of research related to aging as well as more formal methods of training (i.e., face to face learning environments). This paper explores lessons learned from training future waves of qualitatively oriented, doctorally trained gerontologists in a primarily online learning setting. We share our methods for teaching and conducting qualitative research in using online technologies, virtual team research approaches, and ways we are advocating for and infusing qualitative methods into gerontology