Considering Contexts in Educational Psychology: Introduction to the Special Issue

The impetus for this special issue grew from our observation of an ongoing call from researchers, symposium discussants, and journal editors for increased attention to contextual effects in the study of educational psychology. For example, Goodenow (1992) argued that an ecologically valid psychology of education must include an understanding of the social and interpersonal processes that make up the social context of schooling. More recently, Pintrich (1994), in speculating about directions for research in educational psychology, included an increased focus on the role of contexts and culture in shaping students’ cognitions as a major issue that confronts research activities in the field. Similarly, Solomon (1995) noted that the traditionally espoused assumption that “most if not all that is important and interesting in educational psychology lies in the study of the decontextualized individual” (p. 105), which underlies much of the work in our field, needs to be seriously revised. Solomon went on to suggest that there is a growing demand for greater ecological validity and practical relevance of our research and that these demands require that we change our focus to include individuals “within wider psychological, disciplinary, social and cultural contexts” (p. 106). In part, educational psychologists’ interest in contexts reflects trends in the study of cognitive development that emphasize the social nature of human learning (e.g., Rogoff, 1990; Tharp & Gallimore, 1988; Wertsch, 1985). It also reflects the growth of interdisciplinary research programs and the influence of theory and research in fields such as social psychology and sociology. Whereas many researchers now agree with the importance of considering context in their work, the challenges of doing so are many. One set of challenges revolves around conceptual issues related to what context is and how persons and situations interact. A second but related set of challenges involves methodological issues in terms of how to go about measuring and analyzing contextual effects. Goodenow (1992) noted that educational psychologists need to add to the methods they typically use. More specifically, we need to incorporate other methods more traditionally used in fields such as sociology, sociolinguistics, and anthropology. In putting this special issue together, we selected authors who are grappling with these issues in their own work. As is readily apparent, each brings a different approach to the study of contexts, including utilizing widely varying definitions, theoretical perspectives, and methodologies. In each article, the authors discuss both conceptual and methodological challenges they have faced in their ongoing research programs, using examples from recent studies for illustration.