The six articles of this theme issue relate the history of empirical research in education to its sociohistorical background, examining the proposition that the rise of empirical research in education was linked to complex factors such as the rise of positivism in the 19th century or the institutional growth of an educational market. (SLD)

Seven papers present international perspectives on the relationship between education and child development. Conclusions reached in research on developmental genetics, cognitive development, and classroom instruction are considered, characterizing the current state of knowledge with respect to the influence of education on achievement outcomes.…