Pedagogical tools for continuous professional development and their impact

In this paper we will present two powerful pedagogical ‘tools’ for learning; the dialogical inquiry model and the ecology room. These tools, developed as part of the intervention in our Tools for Learning Design (TLD) research project, require deep engagement by learners, offer challenge, require learners to make sense and to share that sense making, ask learners to think in different ways and from different perspectives, develop their metacognitive and reflexive abilities and if used well, uncover deeply held assumptions. Our TLD project was designed to deepen the pedagogical understanding of our nine participants who held positions of authority in a range of Singaporean Continuing Education and Training providers from across different industry sectors. Participants undertook their own action or practitioner research projects and brought their findings back to the group over a period of four months. As a result of participating in this continuing professional development program, participants started to ask completely different questions about their practice. The extent of change was mediated by their work context, the practices of that workplace, their level of power and authority and their own sense of agency. The two tools are powerful pedagogical techniques for change that have multiple purposes and can be adapted for use in multiple settings.