Self-entrustment: how trainees' self-regulated learning supports participation in the workplace

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Development
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Clinical workplaces are essential for postgraduate trainee learning.
• Self-regulated learning skills are foundational for deliberate and meaningful learning.
• Understanding trainee learning activities and supervisor roles is key to optimizing education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore trainees' self-regulated learning activities during patient encounters.
• To identify aspects of self-regulated learning contributing to trainee development.
• To investigate the supervisor's role in supporting trainee learning.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative non-participant observational study in seven general practices.
• Observation of patient encounters, debriefings, and educational meetings.
• Semi-structured interviews with trainees and supervisors, analyzed using a phenomenological approach.

Main Results:

• Self-regulated learning facilitated trainees' increasing independence in managing patient encounters.
• Trainees engaged in self-regulated learning before, during, and after encounters, influenced by various factors.
• Supervisors played a vital role in trainee learning through feedback, guidance, and ensuring patient safety.

Conclusions:

• Self-confidence, reflection, feedback, and supervisor support are key components of effective self-regulated learning in clinical practice.
• Self-regulated learning and self-entrustment enhance trainees' workplace participation.
• Structured interactions with supervisors significantly benefit trainees' self-regulated learning.