Limited effects from professional identity formation-oriented intervention on self-regulated learning in a...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Identity Formation
• Self-Regulated Learning

Background:

• Developing self-regulated learning (SRL) is crucial for lifelong learning in medical professionals.
• Professional identity formation (PIF) may enhance SRL, necessitating further investigation.
• A novel PIF-oriented reflection and learning plan was developed to assess its impact on SRL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a PIF-oriented intervention on enhancing SRL in preclinical medical students.
• To determine if PIF influences SRL development within a preclinical curriculum.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled crossover trial involving 112 preclinical medical students.
• Intervention involved a PIF-oriented format integrated into problem-based learning sessions over 7 months.
• SRL and PIF stages were assessed using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and professional identity essays.

Main Results:

• Professional identity stages showed moderate improvement over time (R ² = 0.069), independent of intervention timing.
• No significant improvement was observed in self-regulated learning questionnaire categories.
• The intervention did not yield statistically significant increases in either professional identity or SRL.

Conclusions:

• Professional identity formation occurs moderately during the preclinical medical curriculum.
• The limited PIF intervention demonstrated insufficient impact to significantly enhance either professional identity or self-regulated learning.
• Further research may be needed to optimize interventions for fostering SRL in medical education.