• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2014

Absorptive capacity is an ability to acquire, assimilate, transform, and apply external knowledge. Since the objectives of communities of practice(CoPs) are to share task-related knowledge and to apply it to operations, individual absorptive capacities of CoP members are one of the most important success factors of CoPs. The study examined the structural relationship among three groups; antecedents of absorptive capacity, absorptive capacity, and the performance of CoPs. The findings are as follows; Goal interdependence, reciprocal altruism, coordination mechanism and socialization mechanism had significant and positive effects on absorptive capacity. In addition absorptive capacity had significant and positive effects on goal attainment and knowledge application of CoP.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.251-260
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• 1997

The instructional influences of cooperative learning strategies, which emphasize mutual interdependency of learners, group goal, and individual accountability, upon students' achievement, the attitude toward science instruction and the perception of learning environment were investigated. Before instruction, the prior knowledge test about atoms and molecules, the test of attitudes toward science instruction, and the perception questionnaire of learning environment were administered, and the grade in the previous mathematics course was obtained. These scores were used as covariates. Mid-term examination score was used as blocking variable. For instruction, three different strategies-traditional individual learning, small group learning, and cooperative learning-were used and teaching materials for the units of mole and stoichiometry were also prepared. After instruction, the researcher-made achievement test, the test of attitudes toward science instruction, and the perception questionnaire of learning environment were administered. The perception questionnaire of group activities was also administered to the two treatment groups. In the quantitative subtest, the scores of cooperative learning group and small group learning group were significantly higher than those of traditional individual learning group. However, the cooperative learning group's scores in the achievement test and the qualitative subtest were significantly higher than those of small group learning group and traditional individual learning group. The students in the cooperative learning group were found to have the most positive perception of learning environment but to have similar attitudes toward science instruction. No interaction between the treatment and the level of the previous achievement was found in any of the analyses. In the perception questionnaire of group activities, students in both small group learning group and cooperative learning group exhibited positive perception of group activities. However, students in the cooperative learning group tended to think that their activities were related with their group's success. Educational implications are discussed.