Pedagogy ( /ˈpɛdəɡɒdʒi/ or /ˈpɛdəɡoʊdʒi/) is the holistic science of education. It may be implemented in practice as a personal, and holistic approach of socialising and upbringing children and young people. The term is not to be confused with social pedagogy, where society (represented by social pedagogues) holds a bigger part of the responsibility of the citizen's (often with mental or physical disabilities) well-being.

Pedagogy is also occasionally referred to as the correct use of instructive strategies (see instructional theory). For example, Paulo Freire referred to his method of teaching adult humans as "critical pedagogy". In correlation with those instructive strategies the instructor's own philosophical beliefs of instruction are harbored and governed by the pupil's background knowledge and experience, situation, and environment, as well as learning goals set by the student and teacher. One example would be the Socratic schools of thought.

The word comes from the Greek παιδαγωγέω (paidagōgeō); in which παῖς (país, genitive παιδός, paidos) means "child" and άγω (ágō) means "lead"; so it literally means "to lead the child". The Greek παιδαγωγός (pedagogue) ; in which παιδί (ped) means "child” and άγω (ago) means "lead"; would also mean "to lead the child." Other relevant roots from Greek include μικρό παιδί or toddler; αγόρι or boy child; κοριτσιών or girl child; μικρό παιδί or young child, indicating that παιδί is used with very young children of both sexes.