--the first comprehensive book-length treatment of this topic--looks at the historic contributions of 16 leading psychologists, as well as others, who influenced the field of educational psychology from its philosophical moorings in the late 19th century to its current scientific status at the dawn of the 21st. It presents information regarding these individuals' ideas and scientific discoveries, along with a sense of the historical context in which they lived.

The book is divided into three sections that correspond to three eras in the history of the discipline:

*the founding period (1880s to 1920);

*the rise to prominence period (1920 to1960); and

*the modern period (1960 to the present).

Each section begins with an overview chapter describing the period in terms of key social, political, and historical events affecting educational theory, research, and practice. In addition, the overview chapters discuss major theoretical, methodological, and instructional contributions of the period and how they changed the course of educational psychology.

The biographical chapters describe the scholar's major contribution in terms of theory, research, and practice and his or her legacy and impact. These descriptions portray these individuals as real human beings responding to historical events and social influences of their time in personal and collective ways that changed the nature and direction of the field.

is a cohesive collection appropriate for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in educational psychology.