Originally published in 1979, this title is based upon Professor Stones' extensive work with practising and student teachers. His overriding concern is with the contribution of psychology to pedagogy to help practitioners improve their practice and theorists test their theories. He develops the thesis that teaching involves the teacher in psychological experimentation. Thus one of the most important laboratories for testing the application of learning theories is the classroom. The adoption of this view offers the potential for transforming teaching and our understanding of human learning.

Unlike the majority of books in the field of educational psychology at the time it is not a synoptic anthology of the writings of the current gurus in the field or its close neighbours. Instead, guides are given to teachers/experimenters to plan, try out and evaluate their teaching/experimenting. The central theme adopted at the outset and held throughout the book is the improvement of teaching through the explicit, informed use of psychopedagogical principles.