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

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.