Aging as a teacher: Effects of organizational practices on career sustainability in the later career stages in Italian schools

Italy's aging population has raised concerns about sustaining careers, particularly in education, where teachers are among the oldest professional groups globally. Risks such as burnout, limited career progression, and increasing digitalization highlight the need to understand which organizational practices support teachers' late-career sustainability. Drawing on a sample of 800 Italian teachers aged 50 and above, we applied latent profile analysis to examine patterns of perceived organizational support. Four organizational practices —organizational climate, leadership, work design, and individual development—were considered, alongside individual career resources measured through Career Adapt-abilities. Four distinct profiles emerged, relating differently to three career sustainability indicators: work engagement (happiness), perceived health (health), and self-rated job performance (productivity). Organizational practices strongly influenced engagement and health, but not self-rated performance. Age and gender did not predict profile membership or outcomes. Findings offer insights for supporting older teachers' career sustainability and suggest practical strategies for schools and higher education institutions.