In this fully updated sixth edition of this much-loved textbook, students will be introduced to different ways of looking at education, supported by links to classic and contemporary research. Built around the essential themes of psychology, history, policy and sociology, this new edition explores a range of contemporary topics found on Education studies courses, including: UK education policy since 2020, including policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; Decolonising the curriculum and social justice; Education studies and student employability; Expanded coverage of cognitive psychological theories of learning.