DESCRIPTORS *Classroom Communication, *Discipline Policy, *Student Teacher Relationship, *Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Influence, *Verbal Communication IDENTIFIERS Flanders Interaction Analysis, PCI, Pupil Control Ideology Form

A study investigated whether pupil control ideology of teachers differentially affected their operational behavior in the classroom. Elementary s.:hool teachers employed in a suburban St. Louis district (N=260) responded to the Pupil Control Ideology Form (PCI). From this group 20 were selected to comprise two experimental groups: those with highest scores (custodial) and those with lowest (humanistic). Flanders ' interaction analysis was then used to classify the classroom verbal interaction of each teacher in the two groups dur4.ng each of three 20-minute observation periods. Data was analyzed by utilizing the test of significance of a difference between proportions, z to test three null hypothes.3s. There was no significant difference between the proportions of indirect verbal behavior, of direct verbal behavior, or of student verbal behavior. however, the humanistic and custodial Ss in this study Differed i