Introduction

Class size, instructional approach, and teacher behavior constitute a set of factors that influence college student learning (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). However, a predominant focus on such factors belies the complexity of college teaching and learning. The articles that comprise this issue of the Peabody Journal of Education reflect the complexity of these two processes by acknowledging that teaching and learning at the collegiate level take place within a system of both external and internal influences. The articles in this issue identify influences on college student learning that have not customarily been viewed as affecting this learning, either directly or indirectly. These influences are political, organizational, social, and psychological in nature. The influences delineated in these articles spring from either a conceptual foundation or empirical evidence. They range from state-level policies and practices (political) to professorial pedagogical content knowledge (psychological). Thus, the articles of this issue offer a fresh perspective on college student learning and increase our knowledge and understanding of this complex phenomenon.