160 Appendices other dimensions as well, and vice versa for disengagement. Second, students determined before class, based on various personal, social, and educational antecedents, how willing to engage in class they would be. Third, the study highlighted the importance of the intentions behind students’ observable behaviors, as it was found that similar behavior could indicate both engagement and disengagement. This study illuminates the dynamic process of student engagement and underscores teachers’ difficulties in recognizing and influencing student engagement in class. Based on the importance of intentions, which are not always visible to teachers, the study advises teachers to observe their students carefully and initiate interaction using open and inviting prompts. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 addressed the teachers’ perspectives on active learning. It describes an interview study using elements from appreciative inquiry conducted among eleven teachers, identified as experts in consistently achieving high levels of student engagement in a small-group active learning setting. The aim was to uncover ways in which these teachers stimulate student engagement. We used a constructivist grounded theory approach, which resulted in a theory of expert teaching practice, describing student engagement as an integrated process with three main components. First, teachers aimed to cultivate a supportive learning environment characterized by psychological safety, a clear and shared classroom structure, and mutual care and commitment. Second, teachers employed a personal educational approach, balancing their educational beliefs and competencies, course design elements, and knowledge and beliefs about their students. Third, teachers demonstrated proficiency in facilitating the active learning process, which included continuously observing and analyzing their students, and consequently decided on an appropriate course of action. The theory highlights the need for extensive active learning competencies to cultivate a supportive learning environment and facilitate the active learning process. However, it also points to the contextual nature of student engagement, reflected in their context-sensitive and reflective personal educational approach. The insights from this study can inform faculty development initiatives, equipping teachers to engage their students. Chapter 6 In chapter 6 we considered a faculty development perspective on active learning. We report on a design-based research study we conducted among 34 new medical teachers. This study aimed to train participants to teach a course employing small-group active learning. Its objective was to design, implement, and evaluate a faculty development initiative that specifically focused on stimulating transfer, enabling teachers to apply the lessons learned in their teaching practices. The design of the faculty development initiative was informed by findings from previous studies. Data were collected from two iterations of the initiative through observations, surveys, and interviews. We analyzed the data using a combination of inductive and deductive methods. The initiative integrated Self-Directed Learning principles with on-the-job and off-the-job learning activities, and we found that this approach stimulated transfer in three ways. First, autonomy in creating personal learning
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