Management Education as Intentional Learning: A Knowledge-Transforming Approach to Written Composition

Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead long ago warned educators of the danger in teaching "inert ideas"—propositional knowledge that students can express but not use. In the context of management education, this article elaborates differences between the traditional model of instruction, which is teacher-centered and focuses on content knowledge, and the more contemporary model, which is meaning-centered and focuses on merging knowledge, thinking, and learning to enhance students' problem-solving skills. This article discusses an approach to teaching that fosters intentional learning, using knowledge as the means rather than the end, which helps students build their own knowledge structures. Finally, writing assignments that are explicitly knowledge transforming rather than knowledge telling illustrate ways of advancing intentional learning skills.