A new monograph published by the British Journal of Educational Psychology (BJEP) published today brings together evidence from psychological research to consider the nature and practice of learning beyond the classroom.

Learning beyond the Classroom’ looks at the evidence from psychology for understanding the different contexts of learning and how these can apply throughout the lifespan.

The monograph is edited by Dr Jill Hohenstein and Dr Heather King from King’s College London. In their introduction they say:

‘A common reaction when thinking about learning is to associate it with schooling. However, it is also obviously the case that learning happens in contexts outside of school, before children ever enter a classroom, at times when children are not in classes, and when they continue their lives after completing formal schooling.’

The contributors to the monograph draw attention to studies based in cognitive psychology, developmental psychology and educational psychology.  They also refer to many relevant studies that are not based within the traditions of psychology.

This is the eleventh volume in the series of BJEP monographs. Every year or so, leading researchers in a specific area of psychology of education are invited to a two-day conference to present overviews of their own and related work in a manner accessible to educators as well as fellow researchers. The proceedings are then published as a monograph.