Age-Related Features of Professional Self-Realization from Childhood to Late Adulthood: A Meta-Analytical Study of Contemporary Scientific Discourse
The relevance of the study is due to the growing attention to professional self-realization as a continuous process that unfolds throughout life in the context of the transformation of education, the labor market, and social expectations. In contemporary scientific discourse, there is a fragmentation of approaches to the analysis of age-related characteristics of professional self-realization, which complicates the formation of a holistic view of its dynamics from childhood to late adulthood. The aim of the study is to identify and generalize the age-related characteristics of professional self-realization of the individual; the object of the study is professional self-realization throughout life. The methodological basis consists of the lifespan, life-course, and career development approaches, as well as methods of systematic meta-analysis of scientific publications and secondary statistical analysis of international data. The study found that professional self-realization is nonlinear and contextually determined, and its leading indicators change depending on the age stage. It is shown that in the early stages of life, factors of environmental support and the formation of professional identity dominate, in adulthood – career stability, autonomy, and the alignment of values with the professional role, and in late adulthood – the transformation of professional roles and the preservation of significance through continuous learning. A secondary analysis of international statistical data revealed age differentiation in participation in education, involvement in the labor market, and quality of working life as structural conditions for self-realization. The results obtained are of practical importance for the development of age-sensitive educational strategies, career counseling, and continuous professional development policies.