Teachers’ perceptions about active learning in lifelong learning and health literacy as a challenge for health education in Thailand’s education system

Health literacy is widely known in the healthcare system and defined as the relationship between an individual’s level of education and their ability to maintain and improve health or participate in health treatment. The interconnected concepts of lifelong learning and health literacy significantly influence students’ health outcomes and educational experiences. The aim of this research is to explore how health education teachers in Thailand perceive active learning, lifelong learning, and health literacy, and to understand the challenges they encounter in integrating these concepts into their teaching practice. This qualitative research design was conducted with nine teachers, purposively selected from nine provinces in northern Thailand. The material for data collection was a semi-structured interview guide. The method of data collection consisted of individual, in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify and interpret themes from key patterns in participants’ perceptions relevant to the research questions. This study reports on the topical status of active learning in lifelong learning and health literacy among teachers in Thailand’s education system. We conducted qualitative descriptive research through in-depth interviews to explore teachers’ perceptions of active learning in lifelong learning and health literacy. The respondents were nine teachers, each representing a different province in Thailand. We applied a thematic analysis method to investigate the participants’ perceptions of active learning in lifelong learning and health literacy. The results showed teachers had employed various active learning methods, such as group activities, learning games, and simulations, with a focus on student-centered approaches. However, they faced issues related to insufficient resources, the student diversity, other work commitments, and a lack of continuity in professional development. The promotion of lifelong learning skills and health literacy remains unsystematic due to teachers’ unclear understanding. They need stronger academic support and innovative media to enhance teaching effectiveness. The demand for professional development emphasizes the importance of workshops and the creation of teacher networks. This leads to the conclusion that improving health literacy and lifelong learning skills requires more effective development of support systems and professional development enabling adoption of active learning in classrooms.