Between theory and experience: The dia‐logical nature of managerial knowledge – implications for the preparation of education leaders

Argues for the need to conceive managerial and administrative knowledge as dia‐logical (as opposed to technical) knowledge and explores the implications for the preparation of education leaders. Although there is widespread agreement that knowledge‐in‐action (know how, intuition, tacit knowledge) is different from technical or propositional knowledge, the preparation of education practitioners continues to be conducted as if the acquisition of technical knowledge was all‐important. Given that the university, as an institution, is always likely to favour technical over dialogical knowledge, it is important to demonstrate that the notion of “intuition”, “experience” or “tacit knowledge” are anchored in the best traditions of pragmatism, as well as in the current surge of interest in knowledge management.