13 General introduction on ‘facilitating the learning of their students’ (46–48). Active learning plays a central role in various educational strategies used in medical education, such as Problem-Based Learning (49–51), Case-Based Learning (52,53), and Team-Based Learning (54–56). Various commonly used methods, such as flipped classrooms (57), simulations (58), and peer teaching (59) also stimulate medical teachers to create learning environments in which students can engage with information and construct their understanding. The overall picture that emerges from medical education research into these strategies and methods aligns with the findings of educational research in other disciplines, supporting the effectiveness of active learning (1,2). However, despite the increased use and support of its effectiveness, medical students and teachers do not always appreciate active learning, nor have they learned to implement it consistently and successfully (5,60–63). First, let us focus on the students’ perspectives on active learning. Research on medical students shows that they understand the potential of active learning for their development and support its use in their training (44,60). One scoping review identified that students were generally willing to engage and that their engagement was enhanced in situations with positive student-peer and student-faculty relationships, a stronger sense of competency, and perceived relevance of learning activities (1). Therefore, it may come as a surprise that students can also be reluctant to engage in active learning methods. This reluctance seems to stem from perceptions that such methods may not be the most effective or efficient use of their study time (64,65). Students also seem to prefer some methods over others (66). Finally, when students perceive active learning to be poorly implemented and does not contribute to their goals, they are likely to resist engaging in it (42,44,60,61,67). Thus, it seems that although students generally appreciate active learning, there are factors that influence their engagement. Now, let us focus on the teachers’ perspectives on active learning. Teachers are pivotal in shaping active learning environments in which students want to engage. Their attitudes and competencies directly affect students’ level of engagement in and out of class (8,44,62,68,69). Furthermore, they can serve as mediators for other factors that influence student engagement, such as student characteristics, cultural aspects, curriculum design, and other contextual elements (25,44,68,70,71). In practice, however, teachers have reported to lack the competencies and support needed to fulfill their roles as facilitators of learning successfully (6). Even experienced teachers with advanced knowledge and skills related to active learning have been reported to experience difficulties in engaging their students (5). Research using the ICAP framework has also shown that teachers experience difficulty designing the most engaging (i.e., Constructive and Interactive) activities (8). There is, therefore, an urgent need for teachers to improve their mastery in engaging students in active learning. Finally, let us include a faculty development perspective on active learning. To assist teachers in developing the teaching competencies essential for active learning, faculty development 1
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