Complex but Fascinating: On the Journey to Domain Expertise through the Confluence of Knowledge, Learning Strategies, and Interest

This commentary reviews the chapters focused on the extensions of the Model of Domain Learning (MDL) in terms of intellectual insights and recommendations for research and practice. The purpose of the commentary is twofold. The first is to highlight essential themes across the chapters, which refer to the importance of the distinction between knowledge and beliefs; the complex interplay of knowledge, strategic processing, and interest; and the classroom environment for academic development. The second purpose of the commentary is to put the chapters into the perspective of the wider field of study and to relate the MDL to current issues in educational psychology research. The need for epistemic vigilance, the relevance of teacher motivation and emotions, and a call for research based on mixed methods derived from different paradigms are discussed for future investigations on academic development in various learning domains and contexts.