Abstract:

Knowledge sharing (KS) is significant in organisational development to obtain a competitive advantage in knowledge-intensive environments like higher education institutions (HEIs). When employees are encouraged to share their knowledge, it can make a significant difference in the success of an organization. This can help the organization address challenges and concerns and create opportunities for growth and achievement. In HEIs, academics play a crucial role in determining the success of KS. In a digital era, Computer Science(CS) is fundamental in developing our societies, which increasingly demand good computational skills. The teaching of CS courses in HEIs differs from other academic disciplines because it requires a unique set of skills and methodologies. Therefore, CS academics would need to update the content of courses each year to improve their teaching practices, thereby enhancing overall learning quality. Therefore, their teaching practices would impact their students and positively contribute to their success in obtaining a competitive career.

For this reason, the main objective of this research is to identify academics’ perceptions about the sharing of teaching-related knowledge among colleagues as well as KS factors, including motivation, barriers and current technology used for KS in a school of computing and enhance the current KS practices in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia.

To capture their perceptions, we conducted an investigative study by collecting qualitative data through 17 semi-structured interviews with academics who work full-time in the CS faculty at Saudi Arabian universities, with varied academic positions and teaching experiences from novices to experts. We used inductive thematic coding for the qualitative analysis—the MaxQDAa software application designed primarily to analyse qualitative data. Through the interviews conducted, it was found that CS academics are willing to share their teaching experiences with their peers, mainly due to the personal and organizational benefits it provides them. However, the research indicated that one of the most significant challenges academics face is the lack of technological means to share their experiences with their colleagues. This highlights the necessity of finding technical solutions to facilitate and manage the sharing of teaching experiences among academics. This study would contribute to developing an effective approach to managing online KS among CS academics tailored to their needs. Its significance lies in its potential solutions to HEIs' challenges in managing and sharing knowledge in the digital age.

Keywords:

Knowledge sharing (KS), higher education institutions (HEIs), Computer science (CS), CS academic, Teaching-related Knowledge.