Page 46 - Medical students’ self-regulated learning in clinical contexts

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Abstract
objec ves
Undergraduate medical students are prone to struggle with learning in clinical con- texts. One of the reasons may be that they are expected to self-regulate their le- arning, which o en turns out to be di cult. Students’ self-regulated learning is an interac ve process between person and context, making a suppor ve context im- pera ve. From a socio-cultural perspec ve, learning takes place in social prac ce, and therefore teachers and other hospital sta present are vital for students’ self- regulated learning in a given context. Therefore, in this study we were interested in how others in a clinical context in uence clinical students’ self-regulated learning.
Methods
We conducted a qualita ve study borrowing methods from grounded theory metho- dology, using semi-structured interviews facilitated by the visual Pictor technique. Fourteen medical students were purposively sampled based on age, gender, experi- ence, and current clerkship to ensure maximum variety in the data. The interviews were transcribed verba m and were, together with the Pictor charts, analyzed itera- vely, using constant comparison and open, axial and interpre ve coding.
results
Others could in uence students’ self-regulated learning through role clari ca on, goal se ng, learning opportuni es, self-re ec on and coping with emo ons. We found large di erences in students’ self-regulated learning and their percep ons of the roles of peers, supervisors and other hospital sta . Novice students require others, mainly residents and peers, to ac vely help them to navigate and understand their new learning context. Experienced students who feel se led in a clinical context are less suscep ble to the in uence of others and are be er capable of using others to their advantage.
Discussion
Undergraduate medical students’ self-regulated learning requires context-speci c support. This is especially important for more novice students learning in a clinical context. Their learning is in uenced most heavily by peers and residents. Suppor ng novice students’ self-regulated learning may be improved by be er equipping resi- dents and peers for this role.