ABSTRACT
Classroom privacy was common. Most adults in Britain had their education in private classrooms, but many children in school are experiencing learning in public situations. The main strengths of the symbolic interactionist approach have been analyses of face-to-face negotiations in organizations which suit the study of classrooms and their immediate context, the school. The study of classrooms is a thriving branch of educational research, which has engaged psychologists, sociologists, linguists, social psychologists, and anthropologists in years. Interaction analysis appealed to psychologists and method specialists because of its claims to scientific standards of rigour and reliability. Rob Walker suggested that 'the metaphysical basis of research on education' in Britain focuses upon 'economic and social structures' - leading researchers away from the school into the home and ultimately the class structure. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
