How characteristic routines of clinical departments influence students’ self-regulated learning: A grounded theory study

Abstract

Background: In clerkships, students are expected to self-regulate their learning. How clinical departments and their routine approach on clerkships influences students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) is unknown.

Aim: This study explores how characteristic routines of clinical departments influence medical students’ SRL.

Methods: Six focus groups including 39 purposively sampled participants from one Dutch university were organized to study how characteristic routines of clinical departments influenced medical students’ SRL from a constructivist paradigm, using grounded theory methodology. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and were analyzed iteratively using constant comparison and open, axial and interpretive coding.

Results: Students described that clinical departments influenced their SRL through routines which affected the professional relationships they could engage in and affected their perception of a department’s invested effort in them. Students’ SRL in a clerkship can be supported by enabling them to engage others in their SRL and by having them feel that effort is invested in their learning.

Conclusions: Our study gives a practical insight in how clinical departments influenced students’ SRL. Clinical departments can affect students’ motivation to engage in SRL, influence the variety of SRL strategies that students can use and how meaningful students perceive their SRL experiences to be.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all participating students for their time and effort invested.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethical Review Board of the Netherlands Association for Medical Education (NVMO).

Glossary

Self-regulated learning (SRL): Is the modulation of affective, cognitive, and behavioral processes throughout a learning experience to reach a desired level of achievement.

Sitzmann T, Ely K. 2011. A Meta-Analysis of Self-Regulated Learning in Work-Related Training and Educational Attainment:

What We Know and Where We Need to Go. Psychol Bull 137:421–442.

Notes on contributors

J. J. Berkhout, MD, PhD, recently received a doctorate in Medical Education at the Academic Medical Center-University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is now a neurology resident at the St. Antonius Ziekenhuis in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands.

I. A. Slootweg, PhD, is a senior researcher at the Center of Evidence-Based Education, Academic Medical Center-University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

E. Helmich, MD, PhD, is a senior researcher at the Center for Research & Innovation in Medical Education, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

P. W. Teunissen MD, PhD, is a Professor at the Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands and a Gynecologist at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, VU University Medical Center, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

C. P. M. van der Vleuten, PhD, is a Professor at the Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

A. D. C. Jaarsma, DvM, PhD, is a Professor at the Center for Research & Innovation in Medical Education, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.