175 General discussion 6 and reflection on both external factors and internal processes; these two factors are interrelated. Perspectives on being a teacher are related to beliefs about teaching and learning: educators with the most mature perspectives on being a teacher have learning-centred beliefs about teaching and learning. In their perspectives, affective aspects play an explicit role. Educators incorporate their perception of the environment into their perspectives on being a teacher and their beliefs about teaching and learning; thus, next to the observable educational environment, the way educators experience the educational environment is at least as important. Being aware of one’s personal mission as a teacher can reinforce, nurture and support an educator’s identity. Moreover, it gives meaning to an educator’s professional life and can fuel motivation for further development, life-long learning, and maturation as a teacher. This is an important explanation as to why educators who are aware of their educational mission have the most elaborate, learning-centred, beliefs about teaching and learning. Thus, supporting educators to become aware of and develop their mission as teachers may not only help them make choices independently of what the environment expects, but is also essential to foster learning-centred beliefs. This dissertation offers a deeper understanding of medical educators’ maturation, the factors influencing maturation, and its relationship with beliefs about teaching and learning, thereby contributing to the quality of learning of next generation healthcare professionals.
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