Self-regulated learning at the workplace: State, trait, or development?

Background

Health sciences students often encounter challenges when they begin learning and practicing in the workplace. Various research approaches and interventions have been developed to facilitate self-regulated learning in this context. To determine the most effective approach, a thorough understanding of the stability and variability of self-regulated learning in the workplace is necessary.

Aim

This study analyzed the stable trait, autoregressive trait, and time-varying state components of self-regulated learning in the workplace.

Sample

The sample comprised 188 undergraduates who were learning at a medical workplace for the first time and rotating weekly between various settings.

Methods

Undergraduates completed a diary on 37 aspects of self-regulated learning for a duration of 10 weeks. Data were analyzed using STARTS models.

Results

The aggregate results showed that 28 % of the total variance in self-regulated learning in the workplace was accounted for by the stable trait component, 22 % by the autoregressive trait component, and 50 % by the time-varying state component. These component ratios vary across different areas (cognition, motivation, emotion, and context) and levels (learning process level and metalevel) of self-regulated learning.

Conclusions

To enhance health sciences students' self-regulated learning in the workplace, it is recommended to focus on research and interventions to provide situation-specific supportive framework conditions while acknowledging individual differences and considering phase-specific interventions. Further research is required to determine whether these findings can be applied to other rotational intervals and subject areas.