Critical Pedagogy in Health Education (2014–2025): A Scoping Review of Themes, Trends and Transformations

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.