Scholarly information in all fields of human knowledge is in continuous flux. Educational practices change not only as a result of reforms which are the subject of legislation, but also in response to new societal demands, needs, and changes in the economic conditions in different countries. It is this change within the various fields of education and the fact that many of the entries in the first edition were written in the early 1980s which convinced the editors in 1990 of the need for a completely new edition of the Encyclopedia.

The vast majority of entries in the second edition are completely new; in only a few cases, have entries from the first edition or from the supplementary volumes, been updated. New entries have also been commissioned on specific topics: sociology of education, girls and women in education, the history of education, anthropology, philosophy of education and instructional psychology, so that the scope of the original sections has been expanded.

Every effort has been made to present the most up-to-date information about the theme dealt with in each entry. Authors were selected on the strength of their 'worldwide' knowledge of the topic on which they were asked to write. The authors of over 1,200 entries represent 96 countries. The Honorary Editorial Advisory Board helped ensure that a balance was achieved and contacts with international organizations assisted in selecting authors with a good international overview. Particular attention has been paid to the inclusion of entries of special concern to the Third World. This is clearly evident in those entries dealing with educational and policy planning, economics of education, vocational education and comparative education.