Facilitating reflection: from asage on stage to a guide on the side

IReflection as a teaching and learning method has been well-established in nursing education. In this study, the aim is to discover the educational concepts which could be used by teachers of nursing in order to facilitate reflection. Participant observation and interviews were used to collect data. The study concludes that (1) purposefulness, (2) activity, (3) collaboration, (4) critical thinking and (5) confrontation and support are all key concepts which should be used by teachers in the operationalization of reflection. These concepts can also be easily remembered as a mnemonic - ‘PACTS’. Facilitation is about forming a PACTS with students enabling them to assume responsibilities for their learning, taking centre stage and the teacher moving aside to function as a guide. The role of the teacher in facilitation is thus moving from a sage on stage to a guide on the side.