Polymerization of N-(2-phenylethoxycarbonyl)meth acrylamide (PECMA) with dimethyl 2,2'-azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) was investigated in tetrahydrofuran (THF) kinetically and by means of electron spin resonance (ESR). The overall activation energy of the polymerization was calculated to be 58 kJ/mol. The initial polymerization rate (R-p) is expressed by R-p = k[MAIB](0.3)[PECMA](2.3) at 60 degreesC. Such unusual kinetics may be ascribable to primary radical termination and to acceleration of propagation due to monomer association. Propagating poly(PECMA) radical was observed as a 13-line spectrum by ESR under practical polymerization conditions. ESR-determined rate constants of propagation (k(p), 4.7-10.5 L/mol s) and termination (k(t), 4.6 x 10(4) L/ml s) at 60 degreesC are much lower than those of methacrylamide and methacrylate esters. The Arrhenius plots of k(p) and k(t) gave activation energies of propagation (24 kJ/mol) and termination (25 kJ/mol). The copolymerizations of PECMA with styrene (St) and acrylonitrile were examined at 60 degreesC in THF. Copolymerization parameters obtained for the PECMA(M-1) - St(M-2) system are as follows: r(1) = 0.58, r(2) = 0.60, Q(1) = 0.73, and e(1) = +0.22.