Teaching writing: A situated dynamic

The paper is theoretically grounded in Cultural Historical Activity Theory, which holds that human development is founded within participation in social and cultural practices. In particular, the teaching of literacy is shaped not only by the curriculum as designated by policy makers and the institution in which it is located, but also by the individuals' understanding of what literacy and learning involves and how they act to achieve their goals. The paper explores data from a project that investigated the relationship between classroom talk and the teaching of writing in six early‐years classrooms. Participants' own understandings of teaching and learning need to be taken into account by researchers and policy makers. Cultural Historical Activity Theory has been used to explore the dynamic relationship between activity at societal, institutional and individual levels. It is argued that researchers and policy makers need to take account of the wider socio‐cultural context in planning and evaluating curriculum development initiatives.