Action learning groups: can they help students develop their knowledge and skills?

The need for new innovations in nurse education is clear. Ways to help nursing students learn to reflect that can be used once qualified are being experimented with. The use of reflective practice as a learning tool for education is growing. Action learning groups (ALGs) help nurses reflect on their own personal development and the sharing of that development. Focus groups were used to examine students' perspectives on ALGs and the influence on their education. Students saw ALGs as a vital part of their course. Although the functioning of the group was dependent upon the lecturer's abilities and the dynamics of the group in general, ALGs were perceived by the majority of the students as an important component of their training. ALGs were seen as the common factor throughout the course and as the mechanism that linked theory to practice.