Culture and Pedagogy compares primary and secondary elementary schooling in England, France, India, Russia, and the United States. It reveals how teaching, learning, and pedagogic discourse are shaped not just by the decisions of the teacher but also by school values and organization, by local pressures, national policy, and the balance of political control, by the tensions and ambiguities of the democratic ideal, and by culture and history. The book combines comparative and historical enquiry with intensive analysis of school and classroom life to present an illuminating and novel account of pedagogy. This is an important book that addresses essential questions about education in the twenty-first century. Its gaining of top book prizes in the USA and UK testifies to its global significance. Winner of the American Educational Research Association Outstanding Book Award and the Society for Educational Studies Best Book Award.