One of the biggest concerns educational institutions face is helping teachers fit into and adjust to the dynamics of the ever-changing teaching environment. What often remains a mystery is how the identity trajectories of mid-career teachers have contributed to their longevity in the field. Also important today is why teachers might choose to…

This article reports on the value of career construction counselling for a black man facing a career crossroads. The participant was purposefully selected from a number of people participating in a career construction counselling course who had sought career counselling. An intrinsic, single-case study design was implemented and a qualitative,…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the benefits of higher education in mid-life from the perspective of life course agency. Studies concerning the benefits of degree-oriented higher education have been mainly conducted using survey questionnaires and quantitative methods. In order to gain a more comprehensive picture, this qualitative…

Today's society, shaped by demographic changes and a global economy, has created different employment trends and work lives that result in adults' engaging in postretirement second careers. This phenomenon is a common occurrence in rapidly aging societies like Korea. This qualitative study examined the postretirement career transition process of…

A small-scale phenomenological study reveals interesting and suggestive insights into the pedagogical technology experiences of late-career faculty with institutional recognition as successful instructors. Referred to in much of the literature as "resistant" and assumed to lack training in pedagogical technology and/or to adhere to…

Biographical learning as a conceptual tool for investigating learning in life transitions has gained some recognition over recent years. In this article, we elaborate on this concept against the background of previous research and suggest a number of different modes of biographical learning. We further exemplify and discuss our suggestions in…

This study explored the characteristics of the international educator through a qualitative analysis of initial decisions to teach abroad. Using interview data from 30 Anglophone educators based across three international schools in China and the Netherlands, the investigation looked beyond surface motives to explore the deeper values which…

This report analyses how learning supports labour market transitions and career changes of adult workers across five countries (Denmark, Germany, Spain, France and Italy). To make the most of career and labour market opportunities, individuals have to rely on their own resources and their agency but also know how to navigate the institutional…

This paper addresses the question of benefits of education from a life course perspective. Using data from a study of 1600 students (response rate 48%) on an open access program at a London University college, it explores educational activity within the framework of a transitions model. In addition to the quantitative evidence, the article uses…

The authors investigated barriers to exercise and facilitators that enable midlife women to engage in an active lifestyle. Findings provide counselors with insight into the meanings that women ascribe to physical activity so they can better assist clients in making choices that enhance their overall health and wellness.

This article explores turning points and transitions emerging in the life course of children with disabilities and their parents. Through in-depth interviews with parents we found that a change appears in disabled children's social participation and belonging, at approximately eight years of age for children with learning difficulties and at…

We present findings from in-depth interviews with mid-career faculty who describe themselves as "thriving." As we ground ourselves in the theoretical contexts of Erikson's stage of "generativity vs. stagnation" and Dweck's construct of "growth mindsets," we discuss themes that run through their personal narratives and delineate key elements of the…

We use a life course framework to examine how the "new risk economy" has left middle-age professionals, managers and executives more vulnerable to job loss and unemployment despite high levels of human capital. Using in-depth qualitative data from 77 recently-unemployed white-collar workers, we examine perceptions of macro-economic…

The study was conducted in response to the need for an increased understanding of the aging experiences of women transitioning midlife. The purpose of the research was to explore the personal understanding of the changes that occur during the midlife period. A qualitative case study was implemented to ascertain how women of the Latter-day Saint…

University graduate-level programs are striving to address needs for community college leaders. One way they are doing this is by strengthening their graduate programs with relevant community college courses. Increasingly, however, community college presidents are being invited to join universities in professorial roles. These new graduate faculty…