Pedagogy is the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of education; it thus concerns the study of how best to teach (transfer the knowledge). Spanning a broad range of practice, its aims range from furthering liberal education (the general development of human potential) to the narrower specifics of vocational education (the imparting and acquisition of specific skills).

Instructive strategies are governed by the pupil’s background knowledge and experience, situation, and environment, as well as learning goals set by the student and teacher.