Introduction

For sociologists the study of interaction in the school probably begins with Waller's monumental study (1932), a work that has now been rediscovered and reprinted so many times that it has become almost legendary. But the early impetus given by Waller failed to lead to a sound tradition of sociological research of interaction or even of the roles of the classroom. Hoyle (1969) in a study of research on the role of the teacher showed that, even in this limited area, little work had been done and that much of this was concerned with general discussions of professionalism and marginal areas such as the social origins of teachers.