Introduction:

Peer Instruction is based on the acquisition of knowledge and skill through cooperation between students of equal status and skills. Thus, it is necessary to search the literature for scientific evidence about its use, effectiveness, strengths, and weaknesses in higher education in the health area.

Objective:

To review the literature for scientific evidence of the Peer Instruction active methodology applied in higher health education. Method: This is a descriptive, integrative review study, which followed the guiding question: What scientific evidence is there in the literature on the active methodology of Peer Instruction applied in higher education in the health field? The research was carried out in the period of June and July 2020 in the Lilacs, Medline (PubMED) databases and in the SciELO online library.

Result:

12 articles were analyzed. The results show that peer learning is an effective teaching tool that contributes to the teaching-learning process, as it provides students (tutors and students) with the opportunity to review and reflect on their own knowledge and skills. Most of the studies were carried out with medical students from different countries.

Conclusion:

Peer instruction is presented as having a significant potential to develop the process of self-reflection and self-knowledge, in different stages of higher education. Teachers, students and institutions can benefit from the systematic implementation of this methodology to improve the acquisition of knowledge and intensify interpersonal relationships and collaborative teaching-learning practices.

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