Active learning strategies, including case-based learning (CBL), problem-based learning (PBL) and team-based learning (TBL), have been extensively studied in clinical and basic science education; however, their application in public health programmes remains under-explored. Public health professionals address population-level challenges that differ substantially from clinical practice, making it necessary to evaluate whether these pedagogies are effective in this field. This review examines how CBL, PBL and TBL have been used in public health education and what outcomes have been reported.
Scoping review was conducted using the Levac and Colquhoun framework, an adaptation of Arksey and O’Malley’s approach.
PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Eligible studies included those involving students enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate public health programmes, such as bachelor’s or master’s programmes in public health, epidemiology and biostatistics, global health, community medicine or health policy as well as employees working in public health-related fields. Data were extracted using a predefined template capturing study characteristics, population characteristics, student satisfaction and study objectives. All articles were thematically analysed.
Results
Overall, 22 studies were included. Of these, 11 focused on PBL, 2 on CBL, 3 on both CBL and PBL and 6 on TBL. Public health topics addressed included general public health practice (n=5), global health (n=3), health literacy or education (n=3) and occupational health or medicine (n=2); remaining studies covered leadership, nutrition, health behaviour, climate and health, ageing and mental health. Six themes emerged: skill development, real-world relevance, diversity and inclusion, blended learning, innovative approaches and challenges. Key challenges for PBL included cognitive overload and implementation constraints; for CBL, inequitable participation and resource-intensive implementation; and for TBL, increased student time burden and difficulty adapting to complex simulations.
Active learning methods enhance critical thinking and problem-solving in public health education but face implementation barriers, including faculty training requirements and resource constraints. Future research should examine long-term outcomes and the integration of emerging technologies.