A new model of the group composing process of lower secondary school students

Much composing that takes place in the lower secondary school is undertaken as a group activity. This paper investigates what is involved when pupils work in this way, and offers a model of processes and phases, which can be used to account for group composing. The model describes what is taking place, and charts the ways in which groups of pupils progress through phases during their composing work. Results from trialling the model are discussed, and ways in which classroom teachers might use it proposed.