From Teaching to Learning in VET: How to Capture Tacit Knowledge

Author(s):

Pentti Einari NikkanenJouko olavi Kantola

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

2. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

02 SES 11B, Qualifications, Frameworks and Recognition of Competences (Part 2)

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-12

16:45-18:15

Room:

BE 015

Chair:

M'Hamed Dif

Contribution

Because of many challenges and demands externally imposed on organisations today the essential aim is for work communities to learn to share the expert knowledge they acquire equally among themselves, so that all knowledge becomes common knowledge or a “shared vision” (Nikkanen 2001). The essence of tacit knowledge encapsulated by Polanyi is in his phrase: ”We know more than we can tell” (Polanyi 1966, 1976, 1983). Amongst researchers the most important resource of all, tacit knowledge, is argued to be difficult to convert, to imitate, to copy, to replace or to substitute (See Ambrosini & Bowman 2001; Nonaka 1991; Sobol & Lei 1994). Wilson (2002) goes further to state that “tacit knowledge cannot be captured“. Research information concerning tacit knowledge is cumulating all the time. However, since Polanyi’s theory we have not been able to translate the concept of tacit knowledge into observable variables in order to measure the concept. People tend to take their basic assumptions for granted and, precisely for this reason, find it difficult to either express them or to question them. However, intuition enables us to comprehend others (see Anttila 2005). Intuition is anticipatory and subconscious cognition. It is often referred to as ”the sixth sense”, ”instinct” or simply ”gut feeling”. Intuition brings tacit knowledge into a conscious awareness. In many professions sensory perceptions and feelings are an essential part of the working process. Tacit knowledge plays a fundamental role in the performance of experts in all fields (See e.g. Stenmark (2002). Schön (1983) stated that “our knowledge is in our actions“. A primary purpose of the study was to find information that would serve especially teachers and students involved in technology education, to identify means of making hidden knowledge more visible and to attempt to deepen the interpretation and understanding of tacit knowledge.

Method

This qualitative research study started with literature surveys on the theoretical conceptualisation and definition of ”tacit knowledge”. After these surveys further information was collected through experienced experts from various occupational fields, in the form of concrete task descriptions considered to involve utilisation of tacit knowledge. The written descriptions concerned mostly technological fields and were discussed not only with the expert informant concerned but also with teachers and researchers.

Expected Outcomes

The most effective methods of transferring tacit know-how include metaphors, demonstrations, videoing, discussions and/or a combination of these. The key drawback entailed in transferring skills and knowledge through writing or speaking is a lack of ready concepts. In many cases either no concepts exist at all for a given skill or the skill cannot be described using familiar concepts. The interviews and discussions clearly supported Schön's (1983, 49) notion: ”a practitioner’s tacit knowledge is always richer in information than any description of it, and his/her knowledge is implicitly found in the patterns of his/her actions”. Tacit knowledge appears to be explicated best in cases where the concrete working methods of a particular skilled activity are clearly visible to the observer. ”The situations, where the members of a project team can interact face-to-face with each other, reinforce tacit knowledge sharing”. Working atmosphere bears an influence on the explication of intuitive understanding (see Evans & Kersh 2004). Tacit knowledge can be explored by different methods, but considering the immeasurable amount of fundamental knowledge, it is just like scratching the surface. As Wilson (2002) puts it: ”in other words, we seem to have very little control over ’what we know’”. Keywords: tacit knowledge, dialogue, intuition, expertise.

References

Ambrosini, V. & Bowman, C. 2001. Tacit knowledge: some suggestions for operationalization. Journal of Management Studies, 38 (6), 811-829. Anttila, P. 2005. Ammatillinen tiedonmuodostus. Ammattikasvatuksen aikakauskirja. 7 (2), 7-17. Koskinen, K., Pihlanto, P. & Vanharanta, H. 2003. Tacit knowledge acquisition and sharing in a project work context. International Journal of Project Management, 21, 281 – 290. Nikkanen, P. 2001. Effective and improving learning organization. In: E. Kimonen (Ed.) Curriculum Approaches. Readings and Activities for Educational Studies. University of Jyväskylä. Institute for Educational Research and Department of Teacher Education, 55-76. Nikkanen, P. & Kantola, J. 2008. Hiljaisen tiedon tekeminen näkyvämmäksi. Teoksessa: S. Saari & T. Varis (toim.) Ammatillinen kasvu – Professional Growth. Professori Pekka Ruohotien juhlakirja. Tampereen yliopisto. Keuruu: Otava ja OKKA-säätiö, 78 – 91. Nonaka, I. 1991. The knowledge-creating company. Harvard Business Review, 69 (6), 96-104. Nonaka, I. 1994. A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation. Organization Science, 5, 1, 14 – 37. Nurminen, R. 2000. Intuitio ja hiljainen tieto hoitotyössä. Kuopion yliopisto, 1.9.2000. http://www.uku.fi/vaitokset/2000/tiedotteet/rnurminen.htm . Polanyi, M. 1966. The tacit dimension. New York: Doubleday & Co. Polanyi, M. 1976. Tacit knowing. In M. Marx & F. Goodson (Eds.), Theories in contemporary Psychology, 2nd edition. New York: Macmillan, 330-344. Polanyi, M. 1983. The tacit dimension. New York: Anchor Press. Schön, D. A. 1983. The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith. Sobol, M. & Lei, D. 1994. Environment, manifacturing technology and embedded knowledge. International Journal of Human Factors in Manufacturing, 4 (2), 167-189. Stenmark, D. 2002. Information vs. knowledge: The role of intranets in knowledge management. In Proceedings of HICSS-35. January 7 – 10. Hawaii: IEEE Press (pdf). http://www.viktoria.se/~dixi/km/index.html . Wilson, T. D. 2002. The 'nonsense' of knowledge management. Information Research, 8(1).

Author Information

Pentti Einari Nikkanen

University of Jyväskylä

Institute for Educational Research

Jyväskylä

Jouko olavi Kantola

Jyväskylä University

teacher training

Tampere

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