Our aim is to describe how coercive power is negotiated, used, and perceived by student teachers and their students in lower secondary classes (ISCED 2A). Power is an ability of a person to influence opinions, values, and behaviour of others (McCroscey, 2006). In our study we use the most influential, traditional typology of power as a relational phenomenon by French and Raven (1959). It distinguishes teacher‘s power in relation to a (by students perceived) principle on which it is based on, i.e. coercive, reward, legitimate, referent, and expert power. Coercive power is based on student`s expectations that he/she will be punished by the teacher if he/she does not conform to the teacher`s influence attempt (French & Raven, 1959).

Our research question is: How is the process of coercive power negotiation between the student teachers and their pupils realised in Czech lower secondary classes?

French, J. R. P., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright & A. Zander. Group Dynamics (pp. 259–269). New York: Harper & Row. McCroskey et al. (2006). An Introduction to Communication in the Classroom. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Mainhard, M., Brekelmans, M., & Wubbels, T. (2011). Coercive and supportive teacher behaviour: Within- and across-lesson associations with the classroom social climate. Learning and Instruction, vol. 21(issue 3), pp. 345-354. Molm, L. (1997). Coercive power in social exchange. (xii, 316 p.) New York: Cambridge University Press. Schrodt, P., Witt, P. L, & Turman, P. D. (2007). Reconsidering the measurement of teacher power use in the college classroom. Communication Education, 56(3), 308-323.