शिक्षण ही अध्ययन सुकर करणे, किंवा ज्ञान, कौशल्य, मूल्ये, विश्वास व सवयींच्या प्राप्तीची प्रक्रिया आहे. अध्यापन, प्रशिक्षण, कथा सांगणे व संचलीत संशोधन यांचा शैक्षणिक पद्धतीत समावेश होतो. शिक्षण हे वारंवार शिक्षकांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली होत असते, तथापि विद्यार्थी स्वतःलासुद्धा शिकवू शकतात. शिक्षण हे औपचारिक किंवा अनौपचारिक वातावरणात होऊ शकते व प्रत्येक अनुभव ज्याचा व्यक्तीच्या विचार करणे, अनुभवणे किंवा कृतींवर प्रगत परिणाम असतो त्यास शैक्षणिक गृहीत धरता येते. अध्यापनाच्या पद्धतीला अध्यापनशास्त्र म्हणतात.

Education is the transmission of knowledge, skills, and character traits and manifests in various forms. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education also follows a structured approach but occurs outside the formal schooling system, while informal education entails unstructured learning through daily experiences. Formal and non-formal education are categorized into levels, including early childhood education, primary education, secondary education, and tertiary education. Other classifications focus on teaching methods, such as teacher-centered and student-centered education, and on subjects, such as science education, language education, and physical education. Additionally, the term "education" can denote the mental states and qualities of educated individuals and the academic field studying educational phenomena.