Creating a thinking culture: a professional development inquiry

Abstract

As a school administrator, the role of facilitating impactful teacher professional development and shifting mindset to lifelong learning is a daunting task. Professional development while both a requirement and an opportunity for change in practice for teachers, does not often initiate pedagogical change in a school setting. Through the creation of this professional development inquiry framework which is built upon the principles of three interrelated dimensions – critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration (C3 thinking) - an opportunity for facilitating a renovation mindset is possible. The framework reflects professional knowledge of adult learning that is structured around an inquiry approach to teaching and learning with the goal of effectively creating a C3 thinking school culture.