24 Chapter 1 setting. Most studies in medical education context have focused on the development of medical educators’ competencies, in particular their pedagogical knowledge and skills.64,69 Until now, insights into the development of an identity and personal mission as a teacher are scarce.64,70 A limited number of studies explored the development of medical educators’ educational identity, mostly in the context of longitudinal faculty development interventions.71-73 However, informal learning opportunities in authentic settings are suggested to be at least as important for the development of medical educators as formal faculty development interventions.74-77 A few studies explored the development of medical educators’ educational identity outside of a formal faculty development intervention. Browne et al.78 and Cantillon et al.79 determined the development of an educational identity in retrospect, as self-identified or selfperceived by the participants in their studies. Van Lankveld et al.80 explored the development of an educational identity of beginning pre-clinical educators through a follow-up study, thus reducing the risk of recall bias. However, in Van Lankveld’s study, the vast majority of educators were not involved in patient care. While not all educators in pre-clinical medical education have a medical background or are involved in patient care, the vast majority of educators are. Moreover, a recent review65 concluded that educators who are involved in patient care ‘reconcile’ their educational identities with their identities as patient-care providers, thus implying a reciprocal influence of both identities. Therefore, we focused in our research in particular on educators who also have a patient-care role. With regard to the development of medical educators’ personal educational mission, the literature is even more limited: we know of no such research within the medical education context. In summary, we aimed to explore if medical educators mature and develop their perspectives on being a teacher over time, and which factors they perceive as contributing to this maturation. Until now, insights into these processes were not available within a learning-centred medical education context. These findings can provide relevant input for faculty development to help support and foster the maturation of medical educators towards more learning-centred beliefs and behaviours. Aim of this research and central research questions Thus, the overarching aim of this research is to deepen our understanding of how medical educators working in learning-centred education contexts mature over time, in particular in their awareness of their educational identity and mission, and how this maturation relates to their beliefs about teaching and learning.
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