This book reports on the 3-year ethnographic study of seven beginning elementary teachers in Toyko and four beginning elementary teachers in the United States during 1989-1991. The volume offers insights into the professional similarities and cultural differences that affect the teacher induction process in these two very dissimilar nations. The final chapter offers a synopsis of the findings and places them within a global educational context, including a comparative analysis of school systems. Chapters are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "How American Teachers Learn to Teach"; (3) "Expectations and Classroom Control: The Case of American Teachers"; (4) "Development of Teaching Strategies and Perspectives"; (5) "How Japanese Teachers Learn to Teach"; (6) "Japanese Pedagogy and Teachers' Expectation of Students"; (7) "Occupational Socialization of Beginning Teachers in Japan"; and (8) "Learning to Teach in the United States: Contrasts and Conclusions." (EH)