Critical Pedagogy in Health Education (2014–2025)
A Scoping Review of Themes, Trends and Transformations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22047732 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pelagia Soultatou (0000-0003-0205-4531, Athens Medical Center), Charalampos Economou (0000-0003-4511-9470, Panteion University), Charalambos Economou (Panteion University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 262 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16020262 |
| OpenAlex | W7128183946 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
This scoping review explores how critical pedagogy has been conceptualized and implemented in school-based health education between 2014 and 2025. Grounded in Freirean principles, the review addresses a growing call to move beyond biomedical, behaviorist models toward equity-oriented, dialogical, and empowering educational practices. A systematic search across five academic databases identified 21 peer-reviewed studies applying critical pedagogy frameworks in primary and secondary schools and teacher education. The analysis was guided by the PRISMA-ScR framework and involved inductive thematic synthesis using NVivo. Results were organized across three analytical axes: temporal clustering (pre- and post-pandemic), seven overarching pedagogical themes, and five phases of conceptual evolution. Findings show a trajectory from early embodied and feminist frameworks toward post-pandemic ecological, decolonial, and digital pedagogies. Despite regional innovations—particularly in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe—implementation remains constrained by institutional resistance, policy standardization, and curricular tensions. This review identifies key implications for educational policy, curriculum reform, teacher training, and future research. It argues that critical pedagogy offers a timely, transformative alternative for advancing health equity and social justice in global school health education
Conceptual framework · Critical pedagogy · Critical theory · Curriculum · Educational Equity · Social justice · Thematic analysis · Transformative learning · Innovations in Medical Education · Physical Education and Pedagogy · School Health and Nursing Education
Empowerment Education
Scoping studies
Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews
School Health Education and Teachers’ Preservice Training
Conceptualisation of critical health literacy—insights from Western and East Asian perspectives
Critical pedagogy and curriculum transformation in Secondary Health and Physical Education
Schools addressing health, wellbeing and sustainability challenges
Exploring critical health literacy in health education
All’s Fair in Pandemic and War? A Gendered Analysis of Australian Coverage of Covid-19
Enacting critical health literacy in the Australian secondary school curriculum
Viewing Sexual Health Education through the Lens of Critical Pedagogy
The Swindle of Democracy in the Neoliberal University and the Responsibility of Intellectuals
Culture jamming the ‘corporate assault’ on schools and children
Caring teaching and the complexity of building good relationships as pedagogies for social justice in health and physical education
It is only an intervention, but it can sow very fertile seeds
Exploring social justice pedagogies in health and physical education through Critical Incident Technique methodology
In Search of Critical Pedagogy in Sexuality Education
Human Rights Group Intervention in Primary School
The Contribution of the World Health Organization to a New Public Health and Health Promotion
Healthism and the Medicalization of Everyday Life
Scoping studies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |