This paper examines the factors shaping teacher-student power relations, based on observations, interviews and document analysis from a Hong Kong study. It identifies and examines six factors: China's traditional culture of respect, examination-oriented teaching and religious culture were found to encourage imbalanced teacher-student power relations, whereas curriculum reform, values education and some school cultures facilitated relatively balanced teacher-student power relations. The paper depicts teacher-student power relations in Hong Kong as a reflection of multileveled intertwined interactions, and as affected by the interplay of various factors. It provides empirical evidence to supplement existing understandings of the nature of teacher-student power relations, especially in a non-western context with varied socio-cultural, educational, school and classroom levels.[Copyright of British Journal of Sociology of Education is the property of Routledge . Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2014.916600]
