Abstract
This issue concludes the 10th anniversary celebration for Pedagogy in Health Promotion (PHP). As I near the end of my term as Editor in Chief, covering five volumes, the time is fitting for a final reflection on the journal’s contributions to advancing health promotion and public health. Many new developments in education and society at large have occurred over the past 5 years, and PHP has kept abreast. This is a testament to our contributors, who continually advance their teaching practice and share their knowledge and ideas with our readers.
I started as Editor in 2020, a year that none of us will forget. The Covid pandemic changed the way we teach and interact. PHP continues to publish many papers examining the challenges and benefits of online learning, and ways to support resilience among students experiencing trauma and stress. That same year brought upheavals in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd, propelling the education community to a self-examination of anti-racist teaching. PHP publishes numerous thoughtful and creative pedagogical approaches for understanding the nature of structural racism and for engaging in action-oriented practice to address social injustices. A related issue dominating the recent academic scene is how to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of educational life, even in the face of organized political opposition (see the editorial in this issue by Sophie Godley & LaHoma Romecki). Here too, the pages of PHP offer much perceptive commentary and guidance for how we can develop curricula, programs, and institutions that advance health promotion’s unwavering goals of offering space and recognition to all voices and working toward a more equitable and just society.
The times they surely are a-changing, with technological advances that most of us could never imagine 5 years ago. We now live in a world and educational environment dominated by social media and artificial intelligence. Our contributors are keeping up. You are submitting innovative papers grappling with the potential and challenges of the digital era and offering exciting ideas for how educators can adapt to and make the most of this new information ecosystem.
The importance of grounding pedagogy in scholarship is another trend that has gained increasing recognition over the past 5 years. I am especially proud of PHP’s contributions to advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). We have published many editorials and papers to guide scholarly educators, and every article in the journal helps build the foundation for theory and evidence-based teaching in health promotion and public health.
These accomplishments would not be possible without the steadfast sponsorship by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). Founding Editor Emeritus Stephen F. Gambescia and former SOPHE CEO Elaine Auld are the visionaries who saw the need and answered the call for a scholarly space devoted to health promotion pedagogy. Current SOPHE CEO William Datema and the SOPHE Board of Trustees are continuing this legacy of strong support for PHP, which, after 10 years, remains the only journal with a primary focus on teaching and learning in health promotion and public health.
One of the privileges of serving as Editor in Chief is the opportunity to collaborate with the dedicated and talented members of our Editorial Board who maintain the journal’s quality and dynamic relevance. And, we cannot thank too often those of you who serve as peer reviewers, giving generously of your time and expertise. As Editor, it has been a particular pleasure to guide and support authors through the often long and arduous process of review and revision. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the role of editor and, in particular, assisting authors in communicating their ideas and efforts by means of that unique writing project, the scholarly paper.
The next decade of public health pedagogy will bring foreseeable and unanticipated changes and challenges to our work as educators. Through the ongoing efforts of our contributors, PHP will continue to play an important part in advancing the art and science of teaching and learning. Thank you for making this journal a vital resource for this endeavor.
