The significance of this article lies in the fact that the problem of modifying the forms, methods and means of implementing the content of education, training and retraining of personnel for the sphere of physical education, sports and tourism always comes first among other pedagogical problems. To improve the educational process and, specifically, educational activities is an essential objective of all the system of education. The article presents the results of a study of the role, place and function of self-reflection in educational activities, as well as in the formation of a sports teacher's professional thinking based on self-reflective culture of solving professional problems. Based on the logical-substantive analysis, the article shows that the mechanism of self-reflective thinking is mandatory for the formation of the methodological culture of future specialists' professional thinking in the implementation of the curriculum content of physical education universities; it has been proved that activation of self-reflection during training leads to the fact that the learner makes his own activity as the object of his influence, he begins to purposefully change, improve or rebuild it. In addition, the article substantiates that the modern practice of education, training and retraining of personnel for the field of physical education, sports and tourism requires constant creative improvement of the teaching staff of higher education, which provides solutions to modern educational problems, the resolution of which will prepare competitive specialists for the open labour market; the analysis of a great number of scientific literature sources shows that psych didactics of developmental education should be based on activation of self-reflection, as a special way and means of forming self-reflective culture of sports teachers; the introduction of self-reflection in the educational process determines the improvement of the methodological culture and the personal inclusion of students, which undoubtedly leads to an increase in their professional competence. © 2019 University of Alicante.