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Self-Regulation of Professional Learning in the Workplace: a State of the Art and Future Perspectives

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Abstract

Much of individual’s learning takes place during job performance, implying that professionals engage in self-regulated learning (SRL). This study systematically reviews the current state of the field concerning conceptualisation and operationalisation within research on self-regulation of professional learning - for which we use the acronym “SRpL”. Although there is a growing interest for research on SRpL, this study concludes that the field is still in its infancy; not only is empirical research scarce, the field also lacks a common theoretical ground in terms of concept. Different theoretical frameworks are used, which leads to various operationalisations of what is meant by SRpL. An important concern is related to the transferability of frameworks developed for educational settings to the workplace. Analyses beyond mainstream areas, which focus on professionals’ SRL during job performance, are becoming increasingly important. This study suggests conceptual handles and proposes methodologies for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, Venusstraat 35, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Katrien Cuyvers

  2. Department of Teacher Education, University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 9, 1000, Brussel, Belgium

    Katrien Cuyvers

  3. Spaarne Gasthuis, Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, Spaarnepoort 1, 2134, TM, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands

    Katrien Cuyvers

  4. Faculty of Social Sciences, department of Training and Education Sciences, University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacobstraat 2, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium

    Piet Van den Bossche & Vincent Donche

  5. Department of Educational Research and Development, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Tongersestraat 53, 6211, LM, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Piet Van den Bossche

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  1. Katrien Cuyvers
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Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 5 Detailed overview of the search strategy used and the results
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Appendix 2

Table 6 Overview of the studies with regard to purpose of the study, theory, design/method, context and educational level of the employees
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Appendix 3

Table 7 Main appraisal criteria methodological approaches
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Cuyvers, K., Van den Bossche, P. & Donche, V. Self-Regulation of Professional Learning in the Workplace: a State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Vocations and Learning 13, 281–312 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-019-09236-x

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