| Summary: | Over the last 20 years the nursing profession has widely accepted reflective practices
and reflective learning as effective measures to help students provide care in a
frequently changing context. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the
role of nurse educators in the facilitation of reflective learning in students. The
objectives were to explore the reflective teaching practices of nurse educators, describe
the learning activities that could promote reflective learning in student nurses and to
determine whether the learning environment is conducive to promote reflective teaching
and learning. A quantitative, explorative, descriptive study was conducted in nursing
education institutions in Gauteng. A total of 121 nurse educators completed a structured
questionnaire. The findings revealed that, although nurse educators agree with the
importance of reflective practices in the teaching and learning environment they do not
necessarily place emphasis on developing their own reflective practices. Reflective
learning was not identified as a formal learning approach in the programmes the nurse
educators facilitated but the educators did attempt to include reflection in the teaching
and learning activities planned. Not enough emphasis is placed on the creation of a
teaching and learning environment that will enhance reflection in a non-threatening
context. The deeper understanding of reflective learning comes with continued personal
reflective practices. Nurse educators should be taught how to facilitate reflective
learning activities and how to create an environment conducive to reflection. Through
reflective teaching practices students could be supported in developing into critical
thinkers hence reflective learning should be a formal teaching and learning approach in
nursing curricula === Health Studies === M.A. (Health Studies)
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