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Tacit Knowledge PAUL J. HAGER University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia
Synonyms Implicit knowledge; Know-how; Unconscious learning
Definition Tacit knowledge is literally “knowledge that cannot be put into words.” But this deceptively simple initial formulation requires some explication. One complication is that the “knowledge” involved typically has a very broad scope, encompassing such things as unconscious habits and unexamined cultural mores. Further, this generally accepted initial characterization of tacit knowledge is multiply ambiguous. As Winch (2010, p. 117) puts it: "
Propositional knowledge, practical knowledge and knowledge by acquaintance can all be tacit in certain circumstances. The tacitness of practical knowledge is, however, of particular importance as it seems to point to an ineffability or inexplicability in accomplished or expert practical action which defies description or explanation.
In fact “tacit knowledge” covers at least the following distinct cases: 1. Knowledge or know-how that, in principle, cannot be made explicit or codified. Examples are Chomsky and Fodor’s cognitivist accounts of human
language ability, which view it as largely innate, having a neurological basis beyond the scope of conscious awareness. 2. Knowledge or know-how that may be able to be made explicit or codified, but how to achieve this has not yet been discovered. In this case, research can turn the tacit into the explicit, as, for instance, the work of Shulman and colleagues on medical problem solving demonstrates (Shulman 2004). 3. Knowledge or know-how that we exercise without being aware that we are exercising them. These encompass all kinds of automatic habits or routines that we carry out, often very skillfully, but with a minimum of conscious attention. Examples include driving on the correct side of the road and entering the pin number of our credit card. These actions commonly become so habitual that we do them without thinking about it. In some cases, such as which side of the road to drive on, we can be aware that we posses this knowledge or know-how prior to exercising it subconsciously. In other cases, we may be unaware that we possess such knowledge or know-how until we realize that we have successfully exercised it. 4. Knowledge or know-how that we are able to exercise, but without being able to explain how we do so. For instance, normal humans develop proficiency in activities such as walking, running, and lifting without being able to explain in detail the underpinning components of their proficiency. These various distinct cases of tacit knowledge lead Burbules (2008, p. 670) to conclude that there “are, indeed, different kinds and degrees of ‘tacitness’ at work here.”
Theoretical Background The differences between these various positions hinge on several dimensions or key ideas. These include the following.
N. Seel (ed.), Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6, # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
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