Evolutionary Perspectives on Educational Psychology: Motivation, Instructional Design, and Child Development

An evolutionary perspective on academic learning and schooling more generally helps us to understand why learning comes effortlessly in some domains (e.g., language) but only with extensive instruction and cognitive effort in others (e.g., mathematics); why many students’ self-concepts are more strongly influenced by physical traits and social relationships than by academic achievement; and why many problematic social behaviors, including bullying, persist in school settings. The articles in this special issue provide cutting edge reviews and empirical studies informed by this perspective and help to solidify the foundation for the nascent field of evolutionary educational psychology.