pedagogical

American  

[ped-uh-goj-i-kuhl, -goh-ji-kuhl] / ˌpɛd əˈgɒdʒ ɪ kəl, -ˈgoʊ dʒɪ kəl /

Also pedagogic

adjective

1. of or relating to a pedagogue or pedagogy.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpedagogic adjective
• nonpedagogical adjective
• nonpedagogically adverb
• pedagogically adverb
• unpedagogic adjective
• unpedagogically adverb

Etymology

Origin of pedagogical

First recorded in 1595–1605, pedagogical is from the Greek word paidagōgikós of a child's tutor. See pedagogue, -ical

Explanation

Anything that relates to teaching is pedagogical. If your teacher has pedagogical dreams all night long, even in sleep, his mind is in the classroom. The adjective pedagogical, pronounced "peh-duh-GAH-gi-cal," comes from the Greek word paidagōgikos meaning “teacher.” If it's pedagogical, it concerns teaching, from lesson plans to approaches to teaching, even how the classroom looks. In rooms where the teacher's pedagogical philosophy is that students learn better when they work collaboratively, desks may be pushed together so four students can sit in their groups.

Example Sentences

As Pierre Bourdieu warned, some of the most powerful forms of domination are symbolic and pedagogical.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025

“It’s really amazing to see my art and pedagogical practice come together outside of myself — in the form of a curved metal building plopped in the Mojave Desert,” Schwegler said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024

How does pedagogical authority operate in the classroom?

From Science Daily • Sep. 19, 2023

District Court for the Middle District of Florida, said the Lake County school district had “cited no legitimate pedagogical reason for its decision.”

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2023

As Gosling recalled, “Rosalind let rip in her best pedagogical style: ‘you’re wrong for the following reasons’...which she proceeded to enumerate as she demolished their proposal.”

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• didactic