Ernst Boesch's cultural psychology of education.

Ernst Boesch (1916–2014) is well known for his symbolic action theory and distinctive approach to cultural psychology. In contrast, his numerous contributions as an educational psychologist have remained nearly unnoticed up to now. Against this backdrop, this article highlights some crucial phases in Boesch's biography that demonstrate his strong involvement in educational psychology in general. It then reconstructs and discusses the main constituents of what one could call Boesch's cultural psychology of education, which he developed in the context of his work as director of the Forschungsstelle für Entwicklungshilfe, insbesondere Erziehungshilfe (Institute for Research on Developmental Aid – specifically educational aid) – which was later renamed Sozialpsychologische Forschungsstelle für Entwicklungsplanung (Institute for Social Psychological Research on Developmental Planning) – during the years from 1962 to 1986. Finally, some conclusions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]