Author Description

Issues was first published in 1995 and has appeared twice yearly since. Issues’ dual purpose was to: (1) identify significant issues in education; and (2) address them through the lenses of educational psychology, psychology, and related disciplines. Topics selected for analysis were broad in scope and of relevance to a wide audience of researchers and practitioners concerned with critical educational problems. Each issue of Issues featured a single focus article, followed by a number of critiques or commentaries. These were responded to by the focus article author(s) in a "final word." In addition to the invited focus articles and critiques, Issues featured a review essay of a book or books addressing a topic of importance in education. The founding editor of the journal was Jerry Carlson. Robert Calfee served as the book review editor. Since 2001, Jerry Carlson has coedited the journal with Joel Levin, with Robert Calfee continuing as book review editor. The editorial board has included Steven Asher, Sam Ball, Virginia Berninger, Peter Bryant, J. P. Das, Earl Hunt, Richard Mayer, Angela O’Donnell, Michael Pressley, Leona Schauble, Wolfgang Schneider, and David Wood. Now, to facilitate distribution of Issues and to serve interested readers better, it is important to change the publishing format of the journal to a book series. But, importantly, the purpose of the series will be consistent with Issues in Education: Contributions from Educational Psychology. The topics selected for inclusion will continue to be relevant and important to a wide audience and the authors invited to participate will continue to be carefully chosen. Be assured, however, that the change in publishing format will not affect or diminish in any way the standards and high quality that readers have come to expect of Issues. The editors of Psychological Perspectives on Contemporary Educational Issues look forward to our exciting new adventure, beginning with this initial volume. So, welcome