Edward Lee Thorndike

Educational Psychology: A Century of Contributions--the first comprehensive book-length treatment of this topic--looks at the historic contributions of 16 leading psychologists, as well as others, who influenced the field of educational psychology from its philosophical moorings in the late 19th century to its current scientific status at the dawn of the 21st. It presents information regarding these individuals' ideas and scientific discoveries, along with a sense of the historical context in which they lived. The book is divided into three sections that correspond to three eras in the history of the discipline: *the founding period (1880s to 1920); *the rise to prominence period (1920 to1960); and *the modern period (1960 to the present). Each section begins with an overview chapter describing the period in terms of key social, political, and historical events affecting educational theory, research, and practice. In addition, the overview chapters discuss major theoretical, methodological, and instructional contributions of the period and how they changed the course of educational psychology. The biographical chapters describe the scholar's major contribution in terms of theory, research, and practice and his or her legacy and impact. These descriptions portray these individuals as real human beings responding to historical events and social influences of their time in personal and collective ways that changed the nature and direction of the field. Educational Psychology: A Century of Contributions is a cohesive collection appropriate for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in educational psychology.

In this unique work some of today's greatest educators present concise, accessible summaries of the great educators of the past. Covering a time-span from 500 BC to the early twentieth century each essay gives key biographical information, an outline of the individual's principal achievements and activities, an assessment of their impact and influence, a list of their major writings and suggested further reading. Together with Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education , this book provides a unique reference guide for all students of education.

Early childhood education is fundamental to a child's later educational achievements and future success. The principles and practices of modern early childhood education have their origins in the past. While the educators who built the field have been the subject of many detailed studies, previous works do not provide adequate coverage of primary and secondary sources, multicultural educators, or more recent leaders in the discipline. This reference book provides biographies and annotated bibliographies of more than 30 pioneers in early childhood education from Johann Amos Comenius (1592-1670) and John Locke (1632-1704), to Maria Montessori (1870-1952), Leland B. Jacobs (1907-1992), and Lillian Weber (1917-1994). Special attention is given to multicultural educators, including Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954) and her work with The National Association of Colored Women. Biographies are arranged alphabetically, and each is followed by annotated bibliographies of primary and secondary sources.