Knowledge Internalization in Academic Work Practice: A Strategy in Educational Identity Transformation

摘要

This study reports the interpretive exploration of Malaysian academiciansȁ9; adaptation strategies in the transformation of educational identity. In the effort to enable the nation to compete in the global arena during the knowledge-based era, the Malaysian government introduced the Knowledge-based Economy Strategic Plan. One of the thrust is to develop the public sector into a knowledge-based civil service, which directly affected public institutions of higher learning. Public universities must become a knowledge-driven university, a new educational identity which demanded a changing paradigm of the academicians. To be able to adapt to the new identity, academicians have to rely on their tacit knowledge. The research employs the grounded theory approach as the overarching methodology within a case site. Data are gathered through semi-structured interviews and twenty-four experienced academicians are interviewed using the critical incidences technique. Findings revealed that the academicians strategized by internalizing their (tacit) knowledge in their academic practices to adapt to the new educational identity. Three (tacit) knowledge internalization strategies are discovered, which are affirming intellectual capabilities, building interpersonal relationship and capitalizing on self-knowledge. Theoretically, this study contributes towards a theoretical model of knowledge internalization among the Malaysian academicians, besides contributing towards highlighting the action strategies imperative for the success of an academician.