Writing and writer development: A theoretical framework for longitudinal study

This chapter begins by reflecting on different conceptions of writing and writer development, and draws on discussions in the Norwegian community of writing research as well as on insights gained from project studies. It focuses on writing and writer development from theoretical, ­methodological, and individual perspectives, offering a framework for conceptualising these notions and an analytical heuristic for studying students’ writing and writer developments. The chapter outlines the concept of development on which the Writing to Learn, Learning to Write project builds and introduces the concepts of most importance for the individual studies. Conceptions of development are pivotal for the study of writing and writer development, and they are associated with writing as such and with social contexts and meanings of literacy. The chapter deals with the conceptual frameworks of cognitive, semiotic, and material repertoires and the mediating tools developed and realised by writers in texts.