A Study of Knowledge Management Strategies of Teacher Educators in Relation to Slected Variables

The global shift towards knowledge-based work has provoked a flood of books describing a scalar spectrum comprised of data, information, knowledge and wisdom (eg: Wiig et al 1997). But information to one person may be data to another. In this sense, knowledge can be defined as 'information with meaning and context'. The possession of knowledge and insight provides power and influence to individuals - and to organisations via the knowledge-based theory of the firm (Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995). Grant observes that "knowledge-based theory also permits us to look beyond conventional transaction cost analysis to better understand the optimal boundaries of the firm" (Grant 1997). But knowledge is tacit and exists in people's heads; so knowledge management must be a personal matter. Collectively, it is only feasible to 'manage for knowledge'.

We recognize knowledge management as a socio-technical phenomenon where the basic social constructs such as person, team, and organization require support from information communication technology applications. Considering educational institutions as organizations and building on the knowledge-base theory of the organization, it is imperative to understand human resources in the organization as they are an important ingredient of “intellectual capital”. The researcher seeks to understand teachers and their perceptions of their knowledge management practices in relation to other vital variables that contribute to these knowledge management practices.

This research paper studies the Knowledge Management strategies of teacher educators as perceived by self and as perceived by student teachers in some teacher training colleges. It also studies the Organizational Culture as perceived by the teacher educators in these teacher training colleges. Finally it seeks to ascertain the relationship between; Knowledge Management strategies of teacher educators as perceived by self, with perceived organizational culture, teaching experience and knowledge management as perceived by student-teachers.