Though Erikson recognized identity development as a lifelong project, most research on identity has focused on adolescents and emerging adults. Less is known about how the identity formed in adolescence is maintained and adapted across the adult life span. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a conceptual review and elaboration of…

Higher education students, formally adults, are nevertheless subject to adultism. The co-authors of this article--the director of the Students as Teachers and Learners (SaLT) program and three undergraduates who have worked in pedagogical partnership with faculty through SaLT--discuss how this program counters adultism on three levels:…

Narrative learning is strongly allied with transformational learning and adult development (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007), given that it creates context for adult meaning making. Through the use of narrative writing, adult students have the opportunity to engage multiple aspects of learning. Many colleges and universities allow…

This article describes a community art therapy program that was designed to promote health and well-being in old age. Observations of diverse participant interactions in the nondirective therapy studio over the course of 6 years revealed the benefits of art making and how it may influence well-being during the process of advancing age. Program…

How do the goals we once cherished but can no longer pursue relate to maturity? The authors asked adults who have experienced challenging life transitions to describe the life goals they once sought but no longer do and those goals that motivate their lives now. The authors conducted research which examines how adults' views of their lost and…

How do we teach and learn, knowing that adults are complex, connected individuals who want to change but also want to maintain continuity of the Self? (Contains 1 figure.)

Professional development for teachers should include learning experiences that lead to greater personal and vocational self-understanding. Teachers need greater self-understanding to keep pace with social changes and to expand their skills. However, if teachers are to develop professionally--especially midcareer teachers--then administrators and…

The concept of "adult status" for young people with disabilities is explored in terms of its social, psychological, legal, and policy implications. The report argues that traditionally institutionalized rehabilitation techniques, whether in education, vocational training, or sheltered employment, have tended not to encourage autonomy and…

The author describes gerotranscendence as a process that occurs when older adults shift from a rational focus on the present-day, material world to a more universal and transcendent perspective. Accompanying this shift is a desire to move toward the end of life with a sense of integrity and acceptance of one's choices. By gaining an understanding…

Parenting education programs have traditionally consisted of teaching skills and providing information about child development, but have not focused on parents' own development as individuals and as parents. The Reflective Dialogue Parent Education Design (RDPED) described in this article helps parents increase their self-awareness and their…

As personal portfolio assessment matures, practitioners continue to look for techniques that enhance both personal development and the process of seeking academic credit through assessment. Kolb's experiential learning theory and learning style inventory may have applications in this search. (Author)

The child care workforce is changing. More than ever before, directors must contend with faculty whose educational levels, job expectations, and career aspirations differ widely. Teachers vary in their experience, professional demeanor, stages in career development, and most recently, generational differences that impact the significance and…

Reviews developmental stages in older adults, particularly disillusionment and individuation, and their effects on career and family. Knowledge of these changes is useful in developing motivational tools for adults who work in schools. (BJV)

Discusses aspects of age prejudice including: age restrictiveness, age distortion, and ageism. Considers social changes related to age prejudice. Describes a University of Vermont course in age prejudice. Includes a table listing cognitive, affective, and behavioral objectives for the reduction of age discrimination. (RC)

This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a Deliberate Psychological Education Curriculum to promote the ego, moral, and conceptual development of inservice teachers enrolled in a five-week workshop, followed by a supervised fall quarter practicum. Significant differences were found between experimental and control groups…