The Science of Yes: Persuasion for Educators

The Science of Yes

Persuasion for Educators

Target audience

Teacher Leaders and Key Personnel

Principles covered

Reciprocity, consistency, social proof, authority, scarcity

Course overview

Persuasion is usually treated as a matter of having a good argument, which explains why so many good arguments fail.

This programme covers what the research actually shows about how people are moved, and applies it to the persuasion educators do: convincing a leadership team to fund something, bringing a department along on a change, and shifting a parent's position. Participants learn the established principles, including reciprocity, consistency, social proof, authority and scarcity, and examine each critically rather than accepting the popular version.

They then work on application, including how to frame a proposal so that agreement is consistent with the other party's existing commitments, when evidence persuades and when it entrenches, and why the order in which people are approached often determines the outcome.

Ethical limits are addressed directly, since these techniques work on people regardless of whether the proposal is good. Participants work on a real persuasion task and test their approach on peers.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

Explain the established principles of persuasion and evaluate the evidence behind each.

Frame a proposal so that agreement is consistent with the other party's existing commitments.

Judge when evidence will persuade and when it will entrench an existing position.

Apply persuasion techniques within defensible ethical limits in a professional setting.

Key competencies

This programme develops most directly:

Clear Thinking and Sound Judgement

Engaging and Mobilising Others

Continuous Learning in Practice

Professional development focus

Areas of school leadership this programme develops:

Acting in Line with Values

Leading with Integrity

Thinking Strategically

Setting Direction

Shaping School Culture

Building Culture and People

Target audience

Teacher Leaders and Key Personnel

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Mr Gilbert Cheah is a writer, strategic brand consultant and former media executive whose work spans heritage, popular culture, television and publishing. For school leaders and educators, his storytelling offers a lens for stakeholder engagement: connecting people through shared experiences, meaningful narratives and a sense of identity.

Commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board, Gilbert authored Street of Singapore: The Remaking of Orchard Road. He also contributed to Chew Boon Lay: A Family Traces Its History, documenting his ancestor’s life and legacy. These works offer starting points for conversations about how stories can communicate change, preserve institutional memory and strengthen community connections.

His storytelling extends to television and immersive exhibitions. He served as co-head writer for a season of Mediacorp Channel 5’s Heartlanders and was appointed writer for Singapop!, the 2025 ArtScience Museum exhibition curated by Dick Lee. Spanning music, fashion, film and art, the exhibition provides a reference point for engaging diverse audiences through cultural touchpoints.

A Boston University communication graduate and Yale Publishing Course alumnus, Gilbert began his career at Bostonia magazine. He later served as Vice President at SPH MediaWorks and Managing Director of Edipresse Media Singapore, bringing experience across editorial development, audience engagement and media leadership to his work.

Registration Details

Course Code: GC14427

Topic: The Science of Yes: Persuasion for Educators

Presenter(s): Mr Gilbert Cheah

Date(s): 14 April 2027, Wednesday

Time: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Venue: Orchard Hotel or otherwise to be advised

Closing Date: 26 February 2027, Friday

Workshop Fee: S$350.00 per participant, and the fee is subject to GST.

Please get in touch with Joseph Loy by email at joseph@pai.sg or tel: 6363 0330 if you require further information.

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