Unravelling medical specialists' self-regulated learning in the clinical environment

In medicine, competences need to be updated continuously and at warp speed to keep up with the evolutions in science and technology, and at the same time provide high standard evidence-based patient-care. Although continuous development programs offer a broad variety of learning activities for recognised medical specialists to keep developing knowledge and skills, the workplace itself offers many learning opportunities. Active engagement in learning processes is needed: learning goals need to be set and strategies planned. Subsequent actions and results need to be monitored and adjustments made to reach the goals set. Also, reflection on and evaluation of the learning process and its outcomes is a necessity to consecutively learn. In sum, blending all these actions represents self-regulation of learning (SRL) which has been acknowledged as an essential requirement for lifelong learning in medical practice. Notwithstanding the importance of SRL, research on SRL of recognised medical specialists in the clinical environment is lacking. This dissertation deepens the understanding of the concept of SRL as it actually evolves in the authentic clinical environment while engaging in performance. This dissertation also contributes methodologically to the research field by exploring the measurement of SRL as an ongoing process, unfolding moment-by-moment. Our work unravels that besides a broad variety of SRL-strategies that initiate, advance, and evaluate the process, SRL-strategies conditional for SRL to take place can be found. Also, feedback loops between strategies are found. However, SRL in the clinical environment is not found to take place in delimited phases as existing research in educational settings demonstrated. Further, a longitudinal multiple case study design offers a methodological approach for in-depth, valide and reliable measurements of the process of SRL in the clinical environment.

ISBN:978-90-5728-626-1

Jaar van publicatie:2019

Trefwoorden:Doctoral thesis

Toegankelijkheid:Closed