This first textbook on educational psychology provides a clearly structured and empirically grounded understanding of the psychological foundations of modern childhood within the contexts of family, peers, school, and society: What is education? How does it work? How has it changed over time? What does growing up in postmodernity mean? How do nature and nurture influence children's development? What do children need for healthy psychological development? What characteristics define parents as 'good' educators? What are effective or problematic educational methods? What do divorce and single parenting mean? What does education look like in families of foreign origin? What does 'friendship' with peers mean for education? How do you educate in problematic situations? What influence do new media have on education? What are risk and protective factors within the family?.