This introductory paper outlines the theoretical background to this special
issue on the teaching and learning of writing. It distinguishes approaches
which focus on direct interventions into cognitive processes from those wh
ich focus on the social and motivational context within which the writing p
rocess is embedded, arguing that they should be treated as complementary ra
ther than competing. It then discusses the individual contributions, relati
ng them to each other and to the broader theoretical context. (C) 1999 Else
vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.