THE AGENDA-SETTING DILEMMA IN A CONSTRUCTIVIST STAFF-DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

This article reports a study that examined the discourse of a staff development process designed to help teachers examine their beliefs and practical reasoning, and introduce them to new premises and practices based on current research. The discourse analysis was designed to shed light on the agenda-setting dilemma faced by educators who attempt to develop constructivist environments while introducing new content. The study suggests that the dilemma, in this case, existed at the beginning of the process but not at the end; and was affected by school context.