'Iedereen aan het werk!' Betrokkenheid in de klas als collectief proces

Although engagement is usually seen as an individual construct, it is also a collective process. In the empirical literature on engagement, we examined a) definitions of engagement as a collective process b) its genesis mechanisms; and c) the role of teachers. The results showed that the traditional, individual definition of engagement is dominant. A number of studies looked at engagement a) at the collective level b) as a dialectical individual and collective process, or c) as an aggregate of individuals.
The mechanisms for the emergence of collective engagement require learners to engage meaningfully (verbally and physically) in a task, and participate in a coordinated process of meaning-making at the group level. Teachers must skillfully time their interventions and monitor the distribution of autonomy in the group to ensure cooperation and discovery in a climate of socio-emotional cohesion.
We discuss how hyper-personalised teaching approaches can conflict with collective learning processes.