Beyond the self: A network perspective on regulation of workplace learning

We expect medical students in internships to direct and regulate their learning processes and activities themselves. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the individual cannot be separated from his social environment, including in health care and medical education. In fact, much of the learning takes place through socialization processes. This thesis therefore investigated how medical students, together with others, give direction to their development into doctors and how they align learning activities and learning processes with their developmental wishes. This thesis coined the term 'co-regulatory networks' to capture the idea that students embed themselves in networks designed specifically for receiving support in regulating their development. This research shows that students build different networks during their education and use people in their network in a targeted manner and with specific development needs. This research thus underlines the idea that learning – in addition to learning itself – is a socially driven process.