Increasing Engagement in Groups: A Measurement Based Approach

Recent advances in measurement have provided group workers with the ability to assess engagement in groups. The Group Engagement Measure (GEM) includes items related to seven areas: attendance, contributing, relating (to worker and with members), contracting, and working (on own problems, on others' problems). Several studies involving adults have demonstrated the measure's reliability and validity. There remains the important need to identify strategies for increasing engagement. Derived from the group work literature, this paper offers ideas for increasing engagement in groups across the seven areas of the GEM. An illustration provides an application of the strategies in practice.