In this paper, we report on a participatory oral history study documenting the lives of late-diagnosed autistic adults in Australia. We interviewed 26 autistic adults about their life history and the impact of late diagnosis. All were diagnosed after the age of 35, growing up in an era when autism was not well known. Using reflexive thematic…

Music teachers are central to the effective implementation of the school curriculum; however, researchers know little about their careers in music education. In order to understand the work of music teachers, researchers must document experiences of those educators who may appear ordinary but who led extraordinary lives and careers. The purpose of…

The purpose of this historical investigation was to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about women in music education by means of documenting the life and career of Genevieve F. Hargiss (1912-1995), a lesser known yet exemplary twentieth-century music educator. Through the investigation of primary source materials including Hargiss's…

Zadok Adolu-Otojoka (b. 1932) is one of the prominent music educators and professional performers in the recent history of arts education in East Africa. A Ugandan by nationality, Adolu-Otojoka has served in different professional capacities as music educator, opera singer, folk musician, dancer, composer, and education/culture administrator, at…

This article examines some of the legacy of the Irish education pioneer Nano Nagle, foundress of the Presentation congregation of nuns. The congregation spread rapidly in the nineteenth century, not only in Ireland but also in Newfoundland, India, England, Tasmania, Australia and continental North America. This year, Presentation schools globally…

From the 1920s through the 1940s, a number of artist-teachers developed methods of creative self-expression in their teaching. The life and teachings of artist and art educator Mabel D'Amico (1909-1998), wife of Museum of Modern Art museum educator Victor D'Amico, are considered within this context. This article attempts to construct an…

Since 2003, the Oral History Project Team has conducted interviews with individuals who have made particularly noteworthy contributions to the theory and practice of evaluation. In 2013, Mel Mark, Valerie Caracelli, and Miles McNall sat with Thomas Cook in Washington, D.C., during the American Evaluation Association (AEA) annual conference. The…

The life narrative is an oral genre grounded in Indigenous tradition and teaching practice. In Canadian Indigenous communities, the expertise and content transmitted by life narratives are a part of their oral heritage. Drawing from their personal and professional experiences in Indigenous school environments, as well as the results from…

This paper is a brief summary of a large historic research project in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The project aimed to document and analyse the nature of mathematics education from tens of thousands of years ago to the present. Data sources varied from first contact and later records, archaeology, oral histories, language analyses, lived experiences,…

This article describes various historical research methods and presents examples of their application in family and consumer sciences (FCS). Historical research preserves the heritage of FCS through greater understanding of the development of the field and practitioners of the profession. Furthermore, historical research can revitalize…

Early childhood education changed in the twentieth century, from mother-at-home-care in the 1950s, to professional early education today. Theoretical and social-political choices of pioneers in ECE had a profound impact on the way children's education is conceptualized. We argue from a social constructivist perspective. The oral history method is…

It is with utmost respect and honor that one would have the opportunity to share another person's life story, especially one that has had a profound impact on that individual. The power of oral history has that effect and allows the participant and researcher to become co-participants and co-researchers looking through a reflective lens of both…

The extent to which people choose their professions and professions choose their practitioners is not always clear; it is in all likelihood a "simpatico" process. But, growing attention to the study of careers can help elucidate the nexus of personal and professional forces that underpins this complex dynamic. This line of inquiry can…

Professional biography research with those who hold formal positions in educational organizations is an established approach to researching leaders, leading and leadership. A key focus is on the oral account of a life story, and this can include family and wider life experiences. What is less of a feature is how the respondent codifies their…

This article reports on the preliminary findings from a national UK study of the life histories of 28 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) educators who led schools across a 47-year period (1968-2015). BAME head teachers were grouped by generations (i.e. pioneer, experienced, and novice) and questioned about the critical life experiences that…