ABSTRACT
Within the British context of classroom research, a criticism can nevertheless be made that the dominant emphasis thus far has been upon formal, traditional secondary school teaching. The problems posed by a seemingly archaic style of teacher-pupil interaction in the secondary school also present themselves more readily for analysis than do the more subtle teaching styles of the informal progressive primary school. Despite all the cognitive benefits which might accrue to pupils from their participation in mime, the teachers' decision here is clearly related to its potential for social control. The elaboration of an exhaustive list of negotiative strategies which comprise any particular coping strategy is by no means sufficient for developing an understanding of strategic decision-making and classroom control. The totalitarian quality of classroom life characteristic of policing entails the exertion of teacher control over the most detailed of pupil actions and it closely circumscribes the latter's autonomy.
