Reform is often associated with anticipated changes aimed at altering and improving social structures. Revealing the outcomes of reform initiatives, as well as identifying key facilitators and circumstances that contributed to their success or failure, can provide a deeper understanding of this distinct social phenomenon. Social transformations are often conceptualised through the framework of education and schooling. Therefore, the term "reform" has inherent pedagogical and education dimensions that warrant academic investigation. This paper has two interrelated aims: first, to introduce "reform" as a historical phenomenon and explore it through the history of education using a bottom-up and top-down classification approach, with a particular focus on the Hungarian content in the twentieth century. Secondly, the paper seeks to introduce papers presented under five subtopics at the 44th ISCHE, titled "Histories of Education and Reform: Traditions, Tensions and Transitions," held in a hybrid format from 18-21 July and 24-25 July 2023, at the Faculty of Education and Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest.