Page 122 - Medical students’ self-regulated learning in clinical contexts

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summary of our ndings
In the previous chapters I have presented four studies on self-regulated learning in a clinical context. In this chapter I will start out with a brief summary of our ndings and I will relate them to the overall research ques on: How do medical students self- regulate their learning in a clinical context?
The rst two studies reported in this thesis aimed to improve our understanding of how speci c aspects of a clinical context in uence self-regulated learning (SRL). Chapter 2 described rou nes that a ected students’ SRL through enabling or hin- dering professional rela onships between students and sta and through inves ng e ort in students’ learning. Chapter 3 showed how single people in a clinical context in uenced students’ SRL. Novice students’ learning was easily in uenced by others, o en peers or residents, and they had a rela vely small social network to engage in their SRL than more experienced students.
The other two studies reported in this thesis aimed at improving our understanding of how the interac on between person and context a ects SRL in a clinical context and what behavior results from it. Chapter 4 deepened our knowledge of how SRL works in a clinical context and the complex, intertwined role personal, social and contextual a ributes have in this process. These a ributes combine into four major factors in uencing students’ SRL: goals, experienced autonomy, opportuni es and an cipated results. In chapter 5 we dis nguished ve pa erns in learning behavior that resulted from SRL in a clinical context. Students varied in self-regulated versus externally regulated learning, which led to di erent strengths and poten al pi alls in students’ SRL.
In this chapter, I will interpret these ndings and discuss how two important contex- tual a ributes, social interac ons and rou nes, in uence students’ SRL. I relate our ndings to theories on self-regulated learning to current scien c knowledge. I will also link our ndings to other theories on (workplace) learning. This thesis concludes with a methodological re ec on, a discussion of the prac cal implica ons, and sug- ges ons for future research.