ABSTRACT
The hidden curriculum is an umbrella term describing the learning, often unintended, which takes place outside of the formal, planned, taught curriculum. Given its impact on learners, ongoing research is vital, to ensure the reduction in negative effects and harness the positive elements of the hidden curriculum. The hidden curriculum can have a powerful impact on the development of learners, shaping their professional identity and socialising them into what is ‘actually’ valued and what is acceptable or unacceptable in medical education and health care practice. Given the lack of research within primary care, initial qualitative exploratory studies, using methods such as a cultural web, could identify key elements of the hidden curriculum for trainees and clinicians. Clear guidance around confidentiality and anonymity is vital to ensure learners feel able to share sensitive information, such as experiences of unprofessional practice. Triangulation can improve the reliability of research findings.
