106 Chapter 5 the sense that, they know what I want. And if they feel that I take care of them they will take care of me by, well, doing their best. (Participant 3) Clear and shared classroom structure Participants stated that student engagement required the teachers and the students to negotiate agreements and share responsibility in complying with them. When everyone knew what was expected of them, student engagement improved, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the active learning process increased. I aim to establish a sort of democratic decision-making process. The choices that are made, the direction we take with the assignments - whatever we do - it should be shared and supported by everyone. This is essential. The idea is that they all endorse what we are doing. They should have the idea: ‘we are here for ourselves and not because it’s required for the course’. (Participant 8) 2) Employing a personal educational approach Teachers’ educational values and competencies Participants indicated that their approach to engaging students was shaped by their educational values and competencies. These values (beliefs and guiding principles) included student-centered learning, collaboration, responsibility, personal development, and lifelong learning. Each value informed their daily teaching practices in specific ways. For example, one teacher talking about the value of responsibility: It is important to me that students do not just sit back and wait for the curriculum to hand them knowledge. No, they need to develop the competencies required to become a doctor. […] They need to take responsibility for their development and regularly assess their progress. […] That is why I communicate to them about their responsibility. Sometimes, I need to sit on my hands and resist the urge to help them, because of course I want to help them and just tell them what to do. But for their development, that is not the most effective approach. So, I literally tell myself: it was a good session when I did not have to do anything. (Participant 1) To effectively guide an active learning process that aligns with their educational values, participants acknowledged the need for advanced competencies. They reported developing these competencies over the years through various faculty development initiatives, conducting ‘experiments’ with their study groups, and through their general experiences as teachers. These activities, in turn, developed their sense of self-efficacy and autonomy, which resulted in being comfortable with their approach to the course in accordance with their values and competencies. Knowledge and beliefs about students Participants described an awareness of students entering their study groups with specific learning experiences and expectations, as well as personal qualities and needs. As
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