Word of the Day

: October 27, 2019

pedagogical

adjective ped-uh-GAH-jih-kul

What It Means

: of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education

pedagogical in Context

New teachers will be evaluated on pedagogical skills such as lesson planning and classroom management.

"If Americans agree on anything these days, it's that our schools could be much better, and that internet culture is harming our children. I have a simple proposal to address both problems: high school classes on how to use the internet more effectively. By now the internet has such far-reaching influence that such a pedagogical intervention is called for." — Tyler Cowen, Bloomberg, 2 July 2019

Did You Know?

Pedagogical, which has the somewhat less common variant form pedagogic, was coined in the early 17th century from a Greek adjective of the same meaning. That adjective, paidagōgikos, in turn, derives from the noun paidagōgos, meaning "teacher." The English word pedagogue (which can simply mean "teacher" but usually suggests one who is particularly pedantic or dull) derives from the same root. Although the words educational and teacher make the grade in most contexts, pedagogical and pedagogue are useful additions to the class.