The study of education concerns itself with examining the transmission, reception, development, and retention of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs. It may do this by considering a portion of the life span, such as early childhood (0–5 years or 0–7 years of age), compulsory school (typically from age 4–6 years to age 15–16 years), post-compulsory education, higher education, adult education, or professional education. Alternatively, it might consider education across the life course, literally from cradle to grave.

In all its manifestations, however, the study of education is the study of a subject about which there is no widespread agreement as to what it actually is. In other words, education is what is termed an essentially contested concept. This contrasts with medicine, for example, where courses may ...