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The asymmetrical structure of educational attainment has been documented widely. The main unresolved problem in educational research now is to explain the process by which this occurs (i.e. the process of social reproduction). In this research, all students in government secondary colleges in Tasmania were asked to nominate teachers who had been ‘especially helpful or encouraging’. A teaching style questionnaire was issued subsequently to all teachers (n = 505) receiving two or more nominations. Also, the top 25 teachers were interviewed. The results show that the teacher/student relationship is critical in facilitating the ‘educational process’, that this relationship is based on the reciprocal expectations (norms) of students and teachers, and that ‘effective’ teachers use specific techniques in establishing their relationships with students. The research is based on an innovative technique of …