The Study on Innovative Talents Training Model Based on the Tacit Knowledge
Xue-fei Zhang , Hong-na Tian , Rong-lin Wang
Harbin University of Science and Technology
(zxf7738@sina.com)
Abstract - Tacit knowledge is a kind of unexpressed
knowledge. Compared with explicit knowledge, it possesses
much more fundamental and innovative function. In
teaching practice, knowledge dissemination should be
involved with an effective combination of tacit knowledge
and explicit knowledge. This article presents that the
innovation of science is derived from tacit power, and it
further displays the research of creative talents training
model based on tacit knowledge.
Keywords - Tacit Knowledge; Explicit Knowledge;
Innovative Talents; Tacit Power; Innovative capacity
I. CONTENTS OF TACIT KNOWLEDGE THEORY
Polanyi is a British philosopher who first proposed
the concept of tacit knowledge in the book of “Individual
Knowledge” in 1958. Polanyi argues that human
knowledge could be divided into explicit knowledge and
tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge can be explained in
language, words and symbols clearly. In contrast, tacit
knowledge is a kind of knowledge widespread used, but
we could not express it with language, words and symbols
exactly, such as the knowledge we owned in the process
of doing things. The key point of tacit knowledge theory
is that we know more than we can explain[1].
II. THE ROLE OF TACIT KNOWLEDGE THEORY IN
TEACHING
The tacit knowledge theory changes teachers’
traditional teaching concepts and brings them new
understanding of the multiplicity of teaching process. The
teaching process is not only a process of knowledge
transmission and mastery, but also a direct experience
process to realize and acquire tacit knowledge through
practical activities. It is also a process which makes tacit
knowledge to be explicit and symbolic, and thus enables
tacit knowledge to be tested, revised and used[2].
Tacit knowledge could bring some major benefits. To
begin with, it is beneficial for reflecting students’
subjectivity and teachers’ leading role in the classroom
teaching. Furthermore, it could provide students with time
and space of cooperative and inquiry learning. Besides,
tacit knowledge helps students strengthen the training of
learning method. It encourages teachers to create and
develop learning environment and enhances the
relationship with students. Eventually, tacit knowledge
benefits students to transform cognition, broaden vision,
develop thinking and improve ability [3].
III. THE INNOVATION OF SCIENCE IS ROOTED IN
TACIT POWER
Compared with developed countries, domestic students
have certain advantages in mastering systematic subject
knowledge, but they lack of innovative and practical
ability in that the major approach to acquire knowledge
for Chinese students is reading books. Human knowledge
could be divided into explicit knowledge and tacit
knowledge according to its external degree. They are
similar with the two parts of iceberg. The former is
floating in the water, and the latter hold up the whole
iceberg under water. Nevertheless, until now, many
people do not realize the knowledge underwater, so that
they ignore the tacit knowledge inadvertently. Practice
has proved that skills could not be expressed by words,
and scientific innovation originates from the power of
tacit knowledge. Therefore, the tacit knowledge is the root
and foundation of explicit knowledge development and
human knowledge innovation. People could only learn
and improve tacit knowledge through human practical
activities experience [4].
The core of innovation is that you have certain
breakthrough and persist in a unique opinion. To
illustrate, you create some new and valuable thoughts,
opinion, method and product. In the process of innovative
activities, innovation subject need to fully use their stock
and structure of tacit knowledge in order to improve
innovation capacity. It is difficult to describe tacit
knowledge by language because it exits our daily detailed
work. University teachers should use and share their own
tacit knowledge with students to train innovative talents[5].
IV. INNOVATIVE TALENTS TRAINING MODEL
BASED ON TACIT KNOWLEDGE
In the traditional teaching mode, related teaching
material is the core content and tool for teachers to impart
knowledge to students. The knowledge transmission
process is shown in the Fig. 1. The whole process mainly
contains explicit knowledge to explicit knowledge and
explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge, but it overlooks
the process of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge and
tacit knowledge to tacit knowledge which causes
knowledge narrowing and losing [6].
The innovative talents training model based on tacit
knowledge should add two new approaches. First of all,
students need to internalize the explicit knowledge into
tacit knowledge. After students absorb explicit knowledge
from teachers, they should understand and digest it by
means of their own tacit knowledge in order to improve
students’ tacit knowledge accordingly. Secondly, we need
to transform students’ tacit knowledge into explicit
knowledge. Students tend to actively express tacit
knowledge in an explicit way after they obtain new
explicit knowledge [7].
There exists some deeper information in this
knowledge transmission process. For example, students’
explicit knowledge could improve teachers’ explicit
knowledge. Students’ tacit knowledge affects teachers’
explicit knowledge accumulation. On the other hand,
students’ explicit knowledge influences on teachers’ tacit
knowledge internalization. Students’ tacit knowledge has
effects on teachers’ sense of tacit knowledge [8].
We believe that university education should shift
original emphasis to outside of classroom and find some
appropriate ways to enhance domestic students’ practical
ability and innovative capacity [9]. Recently, we could
take some measures as followed:
B. Adding practical teaching
Moreover, university teaching reformation should start
with balancing the practical and theoretical teaching. It is
beneficial to develop case teaching in that case study
enables students to absorb and dominate explicit and tacit
knowledge naturally [11].
C. Founding scientific community and research team to
promote mentorship
Some experts argue that college students, especially
postgraduates in certain academic field would involve two
kinds of tacit knowledge. One is derived from long
academic field experience which is a practical
subconscious knowledge. The core of this tacit knowledge
is the elites’ capacity to regulate and publish scientific
papers. Another tacit knowledge is obtained from research
practice, such as intuition, imagination, research skills and
cooperative competency. These examples prove the
importance of tacit knowledge. We could indicate that
closed mentorship is an effective dissemination format of
tacit knowledge. Thus, university teaching reformation
not only requires students to learn further academic theory
knowledge, but also encourages students to join in
scientific community and research team. It helps students
learn tacit knowledge outside of classroom through
contacting with professors and exports [12].
A. Deliberating tacit knowledge and observing students’
tacit knowledge
Firstly, teachers should constantly think about tacit
knowledge, and they need to observe students’ tacit
knowledge as well. According to tacit knowledge theory,
we must realize that students obtain knowledge not only
depended on eyes, ears and good memory, but also relied
on lots of tacit knowledge. Although tacit knowledge is
not perfect and clear from view of explicit knowledge, it
plays a basic guiding role for students’ life and cognition.
Consequently, teachers must consider their own tacit
knowledge and explore the internal relations between
teaching behavior and tacit knowledge. Also, teachers
should strive to recognize and understand the complex
effects of tacit knowledge on students learning
behavior[10].
Explicit
knowledge
Explicit
knowledge
⑤
①
⑦
A
⑥
Teachers’
knowledge
Tacit
knowledge
③
④
②
⑧
Fig. 1. Ideal knowledge transmission and promotion process
B
⑧
Tacit
knowledge
Students’
knowledge
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