IntroductionClinical courses are required of all medical students and means that they must develop the key skill of self-regulation during learning. The ability to self-regulate learning strategies is affected by different factors. This study determined the views of medical students on the factors affecting self-regulated learning (SRL).MethodThis study uses a qualitative approach and the content analysis method. Nineteen medical students in their fourth, fifth, and sixth years of study at Isfahan University of Medical Science participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The students were selected using purposive sampling based on their overall grade point average (GPA).ResultsFive main themes were found to affect SRL. These themes included family with the two subthemes of family supervisory and supportive roles; peers with the two subthemes of facilitating and inhibiting roles; instructors with the two subthemes of personal and educational instructor's characteristics; educational environment with the two subthemes of facilitator and inhibitor roles; and student with the two subthemes of facilitating and inhibiting personal factors.ConclusionThe outcomes of student understanding of the factors affecting self-regulation indicate that facilitating factors should be used on an individual basis to reduce the effect of inhibiting factors to improve self-regulation in students.

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BackgroundReflection on practical experiences is a key element that enables students to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses and develop nursing skills. Whilst reflection may enhance students’ learning in practice, there is little evidence about nursing students’ perception of the consequences of reflection in clinical settings.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore Iranian nursing students’ perception regarding the consequences of reflection during clinical practices.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted by a conventional content analysis approach in two nursing schools at Shiraz and Fasa Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews during 2015–2016, from 20 students selected by purposive sampling. All the interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by content analysis method. Rigor of this study was approved by member check and external audit.ResultsTwo categories emerged from the data analysis, including movement toward professionalism and self-actualization of emotions. The former consisted of three subcategories of function modification, sharing experiences and generalizing experiences. The latter consisted of two subcategories of inner satisfaction and peace of mind.ConclusionThe results indicated that nursing students’ reflection in clinical settings is effective in personal and professional levels. Reflection in a personal level led to positive emotions that increased the quality of care in patients. Accordingly, nursing educators need to create a nurturing climate as well as supporting reflective behaviors of nursing students.

Introduction:In learning-teaching process, students are evaluated in terms of achieving the expected outcomes. Students' perspective, as one of the main participants in learningteaching process, is a key factor in improving the process. This study has been carried out with the aim of revealing the challenges of clinical evaluation and the approaches to improve it from the perspective of nursing students. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was carried out with a qualitative approach in 2015. The participants were 20 B.A students from the Nursing faculty of Isfahan. Purposive sampling was conducted until data saturation. Method of data collection was individual interview. Data were analyzed by the conventional content analysis. Results: 2 Main categories and 8 sub-categories representing students' experiences of the clinical evaluation were extracted from the interviews. The main categories included the "inefficient clinical evaluation including sub-categories: the significance of Summative evaluations, Inattention to the practical skills of students, Inconsistent evaluation criteria, Poor performance of clinical instructor" and the category of "Comprehensive clinical evaluation including sub-categories: Coordinated evaluation protocol, Evaluation based on training, Analysis of the clinical setting and indirect evaluation". Conclusion:Challenges expressed by participants including clinical instructor's inattention to the students' practical skills and the absence of clear and coordinated criteria in the clinical evaluation program raises the need to reconsider, if necessary to revise, the current process evaluation. Strategies provided by the students can be used to improve the current process evaluation.