Tacit Knowledge in Academia: Its Effects on Student Learning and Achievement

Abstract The main themes and facets of tacit knowledge (informal and implicit knowledge used to achieve one's goals) among students in higher education institutions were scrutinized. Students' socioeconomic status (SES) and gender were also examined in an effort to explain the variance in tacit knowledge and how it relates to academic achievement. Undergraduate students (N = 243) completed a questionnaire consisting of biographical information and a tacit knowledge scale, both developed by the authors. The authors applied the concept of tacit knowledge to the learning processes of students and their academic achievement. Results revealed that students with low SES made more use of tacit knowledge than students with high SES. Furthermore, we discovered that students who were high in tacit knowledge achieved higher academic grades than students who were low in tacit knowledge. Implications are drawn regarding the importance of tacit knowledge to students' success in higher learning institutions.