Treffer: Developing the HEART framework: a qualitative study on faculty engagement in service-learning in Malaysia.

Purpose: Most research on service-learning in health professions education has concentrated on student experiences, with little emphasis on staff engagement. Understanding faculty motivations, challenges, and institutional support in service-learning remains an underexplored area. This study addresses this gap by exploring faculty experiences in an immunisation initiative for the displaced community and identifying factors influencing their participation and engagement. Methods: Using a qualitative research approach, focus group discussions were conducted with sixteen participants involved in the initiative. Results: Findings revealed that faculty engagement was driven by hands-on skill development, emotional connection, awareness of community needs, structured project goals, and institutional support. Balancing academic workloads and managing emotional demands hampered sustainable faculty involvement. An unexpected outcome was the depth of faculty members' personal reflection, with many reviewing their privileges and developing a stronger sense of social responsibility. Conclusion: To enhance faculty engagement, this study introduces the HEART framework, which emphasises "hands-on experience, empathy, awareness of community needs, reflection, and teamwork." While the framework provides a structured approach to supporting faculty involvement, further validation is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness across diverse educational settings. Future research should refine its components and explore long-term faculty engagement in service-learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]