Leadership development is a multi-billion-dollar industry with a strong focus on learning through experiences, yet most experiential leadership development efforts typically center on work-based experiences and not personal life experiences. This study delves into the relationships among significant life experiences, leader identity, and adult…

The advent of the so-called "post-literacy" era imposes on an individual the need to master not only various verbal, but also visual, artistic and scientific languages that have been developed in modern culture, which requires an adult to constantly improve their general educational and cultural level and to constantly struggle against…

Eleanor Drago-Severson's research, writing, teaching, and coaching has helped show that supporting adult learning and professional development improves outcomes for students. Given the mounting adaptive challenges educators face in education today, teachers and school leaders must continuously learn and grow as they manage these tremendously…

Purpose: Much research to date on professional transitions has focused on predicting them and then preparing individual practitioners to navigate transitions as sites of struggle. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine, within the context of professional practice and learning, diverse theoretical approaches that are currently prominent…

This article explores the relationships among student-centered doctoral study for scholar-practitioners, adult development, and transformative learning. In this research study, the authors describe a project that explores an expanded conceptualization of doctoral education that is grounded in an integrative perspective on adult development and on…

How can we prepare practicing and aspiring education leaders for the complex, adaptive challenges they face? In "Helping Educators Grow," Eleanor Drago-Severson presents a new approach to leadership development. Too often, she argues, we teach leadership development the same way we teach world history: just the facts. Instead, we need to…

Involvement in student affairs professional development was investigated using McClusky's (1963) Power Load Margin (PLM) theory from the adult education field. The PLM theory is a framework for identifying sources of stress (load) and power in one's life; the amount of power available to handle stress is called margin in life (MIL). This study…

The professional development of trainers requires an understanding of the developmental stages of adults. As with other adults, trainers may progress through stages of development. Staff developers must align the type of support given with the current stage of the trainer's development and move the learner to the next stage. (JD)

Objective: The authors examine the development of the psychiatrist from an adult developmental perspective, focusing on the early development and consolidation of highly adaptive clinical and other professional habits. They place special emphasis on the professional development of the academic psychiatrist. Method: The authors review and use…

This theme issue on the role of networking in improving services for gifted individuals presents two feature articles and several regular columns. "A Network of Scholars" by Jerry Flack describes efforts of a group of professional educators and researchers of gifted persons in Colorado who worked cooperatively to create the Colorado…

Presents an exploratory study of 104 principals' experience, meaning, learning, and development in preservice, preparation, and practice contexts. These principals suggested that the most significant contribution to their development were provisions in all contexts that instilled a voracious appetite for learning. Principals prepared in…

Examines the changes in perspective involved when early childhood teachers are promoted to administrators, focusing on leadership roles. Discusses stages of growth for administrators and the implications of these stages for effective leadership. (KB)

Asserts that the key to assisting those trying to negotiate the "survival" dimensions of their first years as teachers or center directors is immediate responsiveness to concerns and needs. Recommends on-site mentors to support first-year teachers/administrators in reflective practice and to serve as sounding board, colleague, coach, and…

The development of administrators is examined in the context of both job role and personal development. This development should proceed in the next few years to acquire some of the sophistication of the faculty development movement, both in terms of technical development and in the application of adult development literature to the higher…

Examines four somewhat arbitrary and overlapping themes from the literature in adult and teacher development: life span development, stage development, career development, and teacher development. (HOD)