The acquisition of tacit knowledge in medical education: learning by doing.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to assess medical school teachers' tacit knowledge of basic pedagogic principles and to explore the specific character of the knowledge base.


METHODS
We developed a 50-item, multiple-choice question test based on important pedagogic principles, and classified all questions as requiring either declarative or procedural knowledge. A total of 72 medical teachers representing 5 different groups of clinicians and educators agreed to sit the test.


RESULTS
Teachers in all 5 groups performed well on the test of tacit pedagogic knowledge but those with advanced education degrees, or local recognition as experts, performed best. All test takers performed best on questions requiring procedural knowledge.


CONCLUSIONS
Medical teachers possess tacit knowledge of basic pedagogic principles. Superior test performance on questions requiring procedural knowledge is consistent with their working in a clinical environment characterised by repeated procedural activities.
McLeod
P J
PJ
Centre for Medical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. peter.mcleod@muhc.mcgill.ca
Steinert
Y
Y
Meagher
T
T
Schuwirth
L
L
Tabatabai
D
D
McLeod
A H
AH
D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D013663:Teaching / Q000592:standards*