Научный обзор современных психолого-педагогических исследований по проблеме сексуального образования

Abstract

The authors of the paper view sexual education as a relevant research topic due to the fact that the concepts and definitions used in this field by both, domestic and foreign scientists are ambiguous, and the principles and methods of sex education are insufficiently theoretically substantiated. The practical significance of the research is determined by challenges observed in the sphere of designing and implementing sex education courses in the Russian education system. In this article, the authors present a review of scientific research on the issues in sexual education carried out by psychologists and teachers over the last five years. The authors attempted to identify the main problems in this area raised in modern Russian research. Our findings suggest that, firstly, the research interest of Russian scholars is focused on the issues of terminology, and, particularly, on ambiguity of the existing definitions of gender, sexuality, sex, sexual education, etc. Secondly, our colleagues consider the possibilities, limitations, and risks of introducing sexual education into educational practices. Many authors stress the importance of addressing the age-specific characteristics of mental development of children and adolescents when designing sexual education courses. Thirdly, many of the researchers discuss issues in sex education curriculum design. They also argue that competent and specific organization of teacher training in this area is absolutely essential. The present review outcomes suggest that the current approaches to defining the role of sexual education in modern Russian research and education practices are contradictory. The issue of theoretical development and substantiation of sexual education programs is highly topical as the lack of teacher competence in this area may result in negative consequences. In other words, sexual education may be regarded as a health-saving technology on the condition that a systematic interdisciplinary approach is applied to relevant program design based on further scientific research and analysis of international practices in this area.