The study examines the approach of cultural transfer thought to the educational field of universal exhibitions during the second half of the 19th century. The issue of knowledge circulation on education was adressed and, specially, the progress in primary education, made possible by the movement of some actors, as well as their specific goals around this subject. Focuses on analyzing four countries: Japan, France, Germany and the United States and discuss that cultural transfer on primary school was operated by the sections that, in the universal expositions, explored the progresses on pedagogical objects, written documents, designs of school buildings, as well as models adopted by the exchanges and learning experiences from abroad. Finally, verifies the different sociocultural influences that guided the search for models by those nations.
universal exhibitions; circulation of knowledge; primary; nineteenth century; cultural transfer