Education practices for older women guided by the constructs of Paulo Freire: scope review

Abstract

Objective To map the scientific evidence on educational practices for older women guided by the constructs of Paulo Freire. Method This is a scope review using the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform, DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/RP9EV. The search was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS, BDENF, SCOPUS, and Cochrane, as well as grey literature available on Google Scholar and the Theses and Dissertations Portal of the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). The search and screening process took place in August and September 2022. Published studies with full-text available were included without language or time frame limitations. Descriptors and keywords were used, combined with boolean operators OR and AND: Older woman, old woman, aged, aged 60 and over, seniors, older adults, elderly, educational practices, health education, constructs of Paulo Freire, liberating education, Paulo Freire. Results The total number of included studies consisted of 16 publications, predominantly qualitative approaches and experiential reports. The publication years ranged from 1999 to 2021, with languages identified as Portuguese and English. Educational practices were organized following the framework of Paulo Freire, with cultural circles, workshops, and games being the most addressed topics. Conclusion The studies showed that educational practices are participatory and dialogical, and they may contribute to empowering older women in terms of self-care.