This study elucidated the process of forming a work identity among Chinese nurses in Japan through an examination of four cases and explored support measures for establishing and maintaining this identity. The analysis reveals that this process can be categorized into five stages: “Phase I: Development of a Work Identity,” “Phase II: Exploration of a Work Identity,” “Phase III: Establishment of a Work Identity,” “Phase IV: Diffusion of a Work Identity,” and “Phase V: Reconstruction of a Work Identity.” The valuation perspective changed during each phase. Additionally, Chinese nurses in Japan tend to interpret peripheral activities such as toilet guidance and bathing assistance as “care work.” However, differences in understanding of “peripherality” affect their participation. Examining the formation of work identity among Chinese nurses through the concept of trajectory in the legitimate peripheral participation theory, it is suggested that in the early stages of an upward trajectory, the manifestation of their “externality” can lead to the non-recognition or concealment of “legitimacy,” thus inhibiting participation. However, after transitioning to a certain extent toward the center, “externality” plays a role in promoting participation.

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Autobiographical reasoning is a process that constructs a life story through autobiographical memory. Autobiographical reasoning research has progressed in the field of autobiographical memory. However, a detailed process on the meaning of events and their integration into a life story through autobiographical reasoning has not been examined. This study used the Trajectory Equifinality Approach (TEA) to examine autobiographical reasoning. The analysis revealed that the narratives of participants who remembered past events showed a process in which meanings of autobiographical reasoning occurred and affected their beliefs and values. There were cases which narrate how the same beliefs and values changed, and cases which narrate different beliefs and values. The process of participants who did not remember events showed that there was a case of having few meanings of autobiographical reasoning and cases of maintaining meanings after they affected beliefs and values. This study also showed new types of meanings of autobiographical reasoning, such as getting through tough times and changing an environment.

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Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study examined the case of three Bangladeshi IT workers who were unable to devote as much effort to studying Japanese even though their motivation to study Japanese increased. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture the process through which they aimed to continue their behavior of studying the Japanese language in an ideal setting and why they could not realize that ideal behavior. The analysis revealed that strengthening attitudes toward the behavior (the perception of the desirability to learn Japanese) and subjective norms (perception of significant others’ expectations to learn Japanese) were closely related to increasing and maintaining participants’ motivation to study Japanese. However, lack of time and confidence in their ability to learn Japanese led to a significant decrease in perceived behavioral control (perception of whether one feels they can successfully learn Japanese based on their situation and ability), which was an impediment to studying behavior.

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This study aimed to elucidate the process by which institutional investors and analysts make ESG investments, with a specific focus on evaluating employee engagement, using the Trajectory Equifinality Model (TEM) from the Trajectory Equifinality Approach (TEA) as an analytical method. The qualitative analysis, consisting of historical structured invitations and semi-structured interviews, resulted in four TEM diagrams and one integrated TEM diagram. This study identified four time divisions in the process of achieving an Equifinality Point of ESG investment, characterized by four Bifurcation Points and five Obligatory Passage Points. It was found that investors consider employee engagement to be one of the many indicators amidst the growing emphasis on mandatory human capital disclosure. While contributions to quantification, temporal trends, and narrative structures demonstrating improvements in corporate value were positively assessed as Social Guidance, biases and delayed manifestations of results were noted as negative factors affecting Social Direction. ESG information was evaluated comprehensively, considering both quantitative and qualitative aspects as Obligatory Passage Points. Although employee engagement was scored qualitatively, it was primarily assessed qualitatively.

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This study adopted a semiotic cultural psychological perspective to examine how newly married couples raised in different environments create a shared family mealtime space through the everyday practice of eating dinner together. Family meals have been challenging owing to differences in lifestyle habits, lifestyles, and work-related return home times. The participants in this case study were a couple in their late 30s (the first author’s family) who prioritized communication during dinner. For data collection, the methodological background of interactive autoethnography was employed, which has “an orientation to understand a particular experience based on interactions in the research process, as the researcher explores specific experiences together with others”. To analyze how the couple tried to realize shared dinners while imagining their past, present, and future, we used the imagination model of TEM . Consequently, we captured the process of creating a dinner setting that could reduce mental burden while nurturing intimacy as a couple. This process was driven by the desire to eat meals together and involved caring about each other’s health and current circumstances.

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This paper presents the life paths and belief formation of a Japanese language teacher who began her teaching career after the age of 50. The purpose of the study is to understand the experiences and values of those who choose the path of Japanese language teacher as a second career, which has not been examined in detail in previous research, and to contribute to the discussion on the diversity of Japanese language teachers. As a theoretical analytical framework, the trajectory equifinality approach (TEA), based on cultural psychology, was adopted. The first career path of the research collaborator, who played roles such as housewife and part-time worker, and the second career path of the Japanese language teacher, were then modeled, next to the attempted visualization of the career related beliefs as formed. As a result, it was found that although the collaborator faced various difficulties in the formation of their second career, they are currently feeling fulfilled and have the intention to continue teaching Japanese as long as their abilities allow. As noted, a characteristic feature of second career development is that it is the result of the interaction of social factors, such as relationships with others and educational environments, which are added to the personal qualities and individuality a person has had since their first career, as social forces. The survey participant was able to apply the insights and learnings from her past experiences to her second career, and taught students with the belief that there was a form of education that she could implement only because of her own experience. Overall, it was shown that that was the major motivational force behind her to continue being a Japanese language teacher with a sense of fulfillment.

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This study examines the diversity of engagement in class monitor duties among lower and upper elementary school students, focusing on the qualitative transformation of these experiences and their evolving meanings. We observed four students each from the 1st and 5th grades and developed grade-level integrated TEM diagrams. Results indicate that interpersonal factors and classroom structure are essential components in the pathways leading to the Equifinality Point. Specifically, across both grade levels, students demonstrated behaviors such as shifting their mindset, making dedicated efforts, efficiently fulfilling their roles, expressing their feelings fully, considering quality improvements with conviction, and identifying and embracing new roles. First-grade students exhibited behaviors that (1) aligned with the classroom life system and (2) stabilized, invigorated, and cultivated their spirits. Fifth-grade students (1) established a classroom life system that influenced the lower grades and (2) maintained their energetic spirits.

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