dctn s th trnsmssn f knwldg, sklls, nd chrctr trts nd mnfsts n vrs frms. Frml dctn ccrs wthn strctrd nstttnl frmwrk, sch s pblc schls, fllwng crrclm. Nn-frml dctn ls fllws strctrd pprch bt ccrs tsd th frml schlng systm, whl nfrml dctn ntls nstrctrd lrnng thrgh dly xprncs. Frml nd nn-frml dctn r ctgrzd nt lvls, ncldng rly chldhd dctn, prmry dctn, scndry dctn, nd trtry dctn. thr clssfctns fcs n tchng mthds, sch s tchr-cntrd nd stdnt-cntrd dctn, nd n sbjcts, sch s scnc dctn, lngg dctn, nd physcl dctn. ddtnlly, th trm "dctn" cn dnt th mntl stts nd qlts f dctd ndvdls nd th cdmc fld stdyng dctnl phnmn.
Th prcs dfntn f dctn s dsptd, nd thr r dsgrmnts bt th ms f dctn nd th xtnt t whch dctn dffrs frm ndctrntn by fstrng crtcl thnkng. Ths dsgrmnts mpct hw t dntfy, msr, nd nhnc vrs frms f dctn. ssntlly, dctn sclzs chldrn nt scty by nstllng cltrl vls nd nrms, qppng thm wth th sklls ncssry t bcm prdctv mmbrs f scty. n dng s, t stmlts cnmc grwth nd rss wrnss f lcl nd glbl prblms. rgnzd nstttns ply sgnfcnt rl n dctn. Fr nstnc, gvrnmnts stblsh dctn plcs t dtrmn th tmng f schl clsss, th crrclm, nd ttndnc rqrmnts. ntrntnl rgnztns, sch s NSC, hv bn nflntl n prmtng prmry dctn fr ll chldrn.
Mny fctrs nflnc th sccss f dctn. Psychlgcl fctrs ncld mtvtn, ntllgnc, nd prsnlty. Scl fctrs, sch s sccnmc stts, thncty, nd gndr, r ftn ssctd wth dscrmntn. thr fctrs ncmpss ccss t dctnl tchnlgy, tchr qlty, nd prntl nvlvmnt.
Th prmry cdmc fld xmnng dctn s knwn s dctn stds. t dlvs nt th ntr f dctn, ts bjctvs, mpcts, nd mthds fr nhncmnt. dctn stds ncmpsss vrs sbflds, ncldng phlsphy, psychlgy, sclgy, nd cnmcs f dctn. ddtnlly, t xplrs tpcs sch s cmprtv dctn, pdggy, nd th hstry f dctn.
n prhstry, dctn prmrly ccrrd nfrmlly thrgh rl cmmnctn nd mttn. Wth th mrgnc f ncnt cvlztns, th nvntn f wrtng ld t n xpnsn f knwldg, prmptng trnstn frm nfrml t frml dctn. ntlly, frml dctn ws lrgly ccssbl t lts nd rlgs grps. Th dvnt f th prntng prss n th 15th cntry fclttd wdsprd ccss t bks, ths ncrsng gnrl ltrcy. n th 18th nd 19th cntrs, pblc dctn gnd sgnfcnc, pvng th wy fr th glbl mvmnt t prvd prmry dctn t ll, fr f chrg, nd cmplsry p t crtn g. Prsntly, vr 90% f prmry-schl-g chldrn wrldwd ttnd prmry schl.