This dissertation investigates community college students' and their teachers' perceptions about writing in a beginning composition course. The study explores their views about composition, discusses possible conflicts regarding different ways writing can be defined, and offers suggestions to resolve tension. The means by which educators and students at the community college level approach writing as a classroom subject are described. An ethnographic methodology was used to focus on the complex structure of classroom life. A teacher-as-researcher approach allowed constant interaction between participants and researcher to gain insights on a daily basis. Data collection included observations/field notes, instructor/researcher journals, course materials, student interviews, student records, individual student journals, and written assignments. A four-phase plan was used to analyze student/teacher and student/student relationships. Three main themes were discovered: (1) how students viewed themselves as writers and students on past experiences influenced their present attitudes and behaviors; (2) effective collaboration was important in strengthening a classroom culture; (3) developing goals helped students understand the relevancy and importance of writing. The study is divided into the following five chapters: introduction, review of literature, design of the study, results and analysis, and discussion and implications. Appended is an explanation of coding and category development. (Contains 80 references.) (Author/AS)