The study of the psychological and cultural foundations of education has been a cornerstone of teacher education since the early 20th century. And in the current climate of deep concern over educatinal imperatives, foundations have come to assume an almost atavistic importance. Contributors to ""Foundational Studies in Teacher Education"" argue that it is especially urgent to take a fresh look at this key component. Some of the authors represented here - leaders in the fields of psychology, philosophy, sociology, and the history of education - while stressing the importance of the fundamental knowledge generally called ""foundations"", question the continuing validity of the foundations metaphor itself. They posit instead an understanding of psychology and culture as one basic component of a structure, ""a scaffolding that integrates with other professional knowledge essential to the teaching enterprise"". The book includes chapters on the roles of educational psychology and history in the teacher education processs, examining the impact of race, ethnicity, and gender in the curriculum, and bringing classroom knowledge and foundations theory to a closer relationship.