Advances in Health Sciences Education 2: 61–70, 1997. 61 c 1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Factors Influencing the Growth in Knowledge of Trainees in General Practice YVONNE D. VAN LEEUWEN , HERMAN D ¨ USMAN, SASKIA S.L. MOL, MARJAN C. POLLEMANS, MARIA J. DROP, RICHARD P.T.M. GROL and CEES P.M. VAN DER VLEUTEN Ransdalerstraat 10, 6312 AH Ransdaal, The Netherlands, Fax: 043-3619344, e-mail: Yvonne. van Leeuwen@HAG@UniMAAS.NL Abstract. Objectives: The relation between the content of postgraduate training for general practice and the outcome in terms of the growth in knowledge of trainees was investigated. The training variables included were: (1) the number of patients seen per day, (2) the trainer, (3) the practice and (4) the theoretical curriculum. Methods: Subjects were 58 trainee-trainer pairs. Growth in knowledge was assessed by two written tests administered with eight months interval. Training variables were evaluated by means of questionnaires and logbook-registration. The correlation was explored between each of the training variables and the knowledge tests scores. To correct for interactional effects, a step-wise multiple regression analysis was performed with the second test as dependent variable and the first test as well as the training variables as independent variables. Results: Significant growth in knowledge was demonstrated. Non of all training variables inves- tigated explained the variance in scores on the second test equally good or better than the scores on the entry test. Conclusions: The impact of the separate training-components on the growth in knowledge, remains unclear. We may speculate, that the sort of knowledge assessed with the written literature based true/false test is different from the sort of knowledge transferred during every day training: evidence based knowledge versus experience based knowledge. Equally valid is the conclusion that these findings fit into the theory that in adult learning the outcome is more learner’ than teacher’ dependent. Key words: general practice, postgraduate education, growth in knowledge Introduction In the UK, the Netherlands and some of the Nordic countries postgraduate train- ing for general practice has a long tradition. Despite differences in structure and content of the curriculum, there is considerable similarity (Lawrence and Pritchard, 1992; Boerma et al., 1993). In most countries trainees work and learn in general practice under the supervision of a GP trainer for a substantial part of the time. Gradually the trainer has evolved from ‘host’ to ‘teacher’ and ‘role model’; the theoretical curriculum – courses and seminars – has become well elaborated and increasing attention is paid to formal assessment of the trainee’s competence and performance (Pereira Gray, 1982; Lawrence and Pritchard, 1992). As is often the