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Ecological Systems Theory in Clinical Learning

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Clinical Education for the Health Professions

Abstract

Ecological Systems Theory (EST) seeks to understand human development through examining the interactions between an individual’s innate nature and the multiple influences from the environment. Its emphasis on understanding developmental issues from a nonlinear, multifactorial perspective suits the study of clinical education in an age where healthcare is a social system involving multiple factors that are inter-related in complex ways. In this chapter, we describe the potential uses of EST in understanding and exploring how contextual influences impact clinical learning, transitions and change, and helping trainees with difficulties.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Education, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore

    Yang Yann Foo

  2. KKH Women and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

    Raymond Goy

Authors
  1. Yang Yann Foo
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  2. Raymond Goy
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Correspondence to Yang Yann Foo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Debra Nestel

  2. King's College London, London, UK

    Gabriel Reedy

  3. School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia

    Lisa McKenna

  4. Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia

    Suzanne Gough

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Foo, Y.Y., Goy, R. (2021). Ecological Systems Theory in Clinical Learning. In: Nestel, D., Reedy, G., McKenna, L., Gough, S. (eds) Clinical Education for the Health Professions. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6106-7_37-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6106-7_37-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-6106-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-6106-7

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