Purpose of the Textbook

The book “Introduction to Education” was written to be used as a resource in introductory education courses.   We want students who are first exploring the field of education to get answers to some of their most common questions.  Thus, we have broken up the book into the following questions:

• Why teach?
• What is the purpose of school?
• Who are today’s students?
• How do social issues affect students?
• What is taught?
• What makes an effective teacher?
• What is a positive classroom environment?
• What are the ethical and legal issues in schools?
• What is an educational philosophy?
• Excellence or equity…which is more important?
• What can a new teacher expect?

How to Use this Book

Each chapter provides objectives and key terms that guide the content.  The chapter often contains an interactive question as well as video content that could be used to explore content in more depth.   At the very end of many chapters, additional readings are suggested.  This can be helpful as an instructor or a student may want to include content that is aligned with the state education challenges and requirements.

If you are a student exploring this topic, you can use this book as a springboard for further learning about education.  In many cases, clear examples are provided in each chapter to allow for clarification.

Textbook Adoption

If you decide to adopt this book for a class, please let us know!