A pair of scholars tour United States schools and colleges to investigate teacher preparation, reporting on state normal schools, city normal and training schools, and local training classes. They contrast academic and professional emphases, describing curricula that combine classical study with laboratory science, manual training, and library resources. The account examines pedagogical instruction such as psychology, history of education, methods courses, and practice teaching in model schools, together with systems of examination and certification. Observations also consider the supply of teachers, effects of local management, and illustrative materials and experiments seen at higher institutions and educational exhibitions.