| Abstrakt: |
Fierce competition and constant changes have forced organizations to search for new ways to improve competitive advantage. Organizations and individuals are starting to understand and appreciate knowledge as the most valued asset in the emerging competitive environment. As a result, Knowledge Management (KM) through a variety of approaches and technologies is currently receiving considerable attention. In the education sector, current education reform and competition require schools to embrace change. Schools, like most organizations, should learn that KM improves decision-making and fosters innovation. KM can be used an alternative strategy by schools to improve performance. However, little research has been undertaken on how KM can be applied in a school environment. As an approach for school development and performance improvement, KM is still a new management theory. To put KM into action, it is crucial to understand teacher perception of KM at the outset e.g. how teachers regard KM in the school environment, what they expect to achieve from KM, and what concerns they have while implementing KM. This study aims to look into the key factors of KM implementation in the school environment and teacher perception of the key factors. The study was carried out in a typical Hong Kong secondary school. A survey, based on relevant KM models and KM performance measurements, was used to measure teacher perception of KM. Eleven key factors of KM were included in the questionnaire: Leadership, IT Infrastructure, IT management, Knowledge Creation, Acquisition and Learning, Dissemination and Transfer, Application and Exploration, Personal Skills, School Support for Professional Development, Interpersonal Trust, and Management Trust. The results of the survey showed that "Leadership", "Interpersonal Trust", and "Management trust" were regarded as the three most important factors of KM implementation. Most teachers felt it was very important to motivate teachers and help them establish positive core values, beliefs and assumptions towards knowledge sharing to facilitate KM practice. In addition, support and recognition from top management during the process of implementing KM was regarded as an important factor of KM. Further analysis indicated that teachers with different KLAs (Key learning Areas) held different views on team work, with female teachers perceiving IT as being more important than male teachers do. This survey was used to kick-start a KM action research project in the secondary school. The findings may provide insight on taking further action for KM implementation in the school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
