Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
3-2023
Abstract
Knowledge sharing among students often yields positive dividends. It facilitates the harmonization of learning and the creation of new knowledge. The paper sought to evaluate the knowledge-sharing practices of student-teachers in Colleges of Education in Ghana. Specifically, the paper set out to find out the attitude of student-teachers toward knowledge sharing; investigate factors that inhibit knowledge sharing; assess the type of information they shared and explored the mode through which student-teachers preferred to share information. The study employed the descriptive research design and engaged a total population of 600 student-teachers in the Colleges of education in Ghana. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0 (SPSS V22) was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that majority of the respondents agreed knowledge sharing should be done willingly with their mates. It was also discovered that factors such as lack of confidence, low self-esteem, and inadequate peer interaction inhibited knowledge sharing. Similarly, reputation, self-efficacy, interpersonal trust and personality traits were found to be factors that promoted knowledge sharing. It also came to the fore that student-teachers shared all kinds of information including any newsworthy information to PowerPoint downloaded from the internet. Additionally, student-teachers preferred face-to-face, group discussion, and classroom as modes of sharing knowledge compared to the use of emails, Facebook, WhatsApp and ZOOM/MOOCS/DUO. The study concluded that student-teachers in Colleges of Education in Ghana have positive attitude toward knowledge sharing due to the numerous benefits that knowledge sharing has. The study therefore, recommends that Colleges of Education in Ghana must be intentional about hammering out formal and informal ways of sharing knowledge among student-teachers and publicizing knowledge-sharing policy.