58 | Chapter 3 An additional data source is the content of portfolios, which could clarify to what extent the different SRL processes are present in the documentation that learners keep in their portfolio. In common educational practice, such as the assessment of reflections and learning goals and the use of portfolio content as starting point for supervision, the presence of SRL processes in portfolio documentation is presupposed. However, to our knowledge previous studies have only analysed the content of specific (assessment) instruments, such as the mini-CEX, for the presence and quality of documented SRL processes.28-30 These studies show that the presence and quality of feedback, reflection and action plans documented could be improved substantially. Consequently, there is too little empirical evidence to substantiate the assumption that SRL processes are present in the documentation of portfolios. The aim of the current study is to gain insight into the documentation of different SRL processes within the portfolio content of trainees, thereby focusing on those SRL processes that are, within the field of health professions education, expected to be supported by and documented in portfolios. The research question is: To what extent are SRL processes, specifically self-assessment via reflection and feedback, goal-setting and planning, and monitoring, documented in portfolio content? Methods Context The setting of this research is the Dutch General Practitioner (GP) specialty training, as provided by the eight institutes related to the eight University Medical Centres in the Netherlands. The formal framework and guidelines of the specialty training, such as the assessment protocol, are similar for the eight institutes. During the three years of specialty training, GP trainees learn, while working in general practice (during their first- and third year) and adjacent fields such as psychiatry and hospital emergency care (during their second year). This WPL is guided by experienced doctors (mostly GPs), who work on site with the trainee and function as supervisors. In addition, GP trainees receive education in peer-trainee groups, during a weekly academic day, which is provided by GP teachers and behavioural scientists of the different institutes. Trainees are obligated to document information concerning assessment and learning in a portfolio. Content and structure of the portfolio are based on the research-informed NijMaas guidelines.31 The mission of these guidelines was to propose a portfolio that combines programmatic assessment32 with support for SRL. The portfolio contains eleven unique forms (see Table 1). These eleven forms can be added as often as required by trainees. Alongside the pre-structured forms, trainees can add their own documents to a separate folder of the portfolio.
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