A course in psychological concepts relevant to education. Organized around four basic issues: how humans think and learn; how children, adolescents, and adults differ in their cognitive and moral development; the sense in which motivation and intention explain why people act as they do; how such key human characteristics as intelligence, motivation, and academic achievement can be measured.

This class will provide an overview of the sociology of education and human social development. The readings and class assignments will support the examination of how social institutions and individuals' experiences within these institutions affect educational processes and social development. The literature reviewed will span various levels of analysis, ranging from the individual to the structure of relations among social and educational institutions. In an increasingly complex society, important educational issues arise throughout the life cycle. This course will provide opportunities to examine all stages and all types of education at the individual, institutional, and organizational levels. A reoccurring theme throughout the course will be a focus on education in metropolitan regions.