Abstract
Comprehensive sexual health education (SHE) programs are being implemented in many state and local jurisdictions. Much research has focused on the strength and effectiveness of such programs. However, the experiences of teachers and students in their implementation is underexplored. A case study of the implementation of the SHE policy and curriculum in Chicago Public Schools sought to explore teachers’ and students’ experiences. Sixteen teachers were interviewed and five student focus groups, including 46 students, were conducted. Both teachers and students identified opportunities to improve upon the current program, including to (1) incorporate more student-centered learning opportunities and allow for tailoring to each specific group of students; (2) use discussion and dialogue to encourage students’ exploration of their own opinions and identities and development of a sense of agency over their own learning; (3) shift focus from risk reduction to a more holistic focus on healthy sexual wellbeing; and (4) directly discuss current health inequities, contributing factors, and intersectionality. These findings align with a critical pedagogical approach and underscore the need to understand SHE implementation within its sociopolitical context. Implications of the use of critical pedagogy as a framework for SHE in Chicago and beyond are discussed.
Highlights
Tensions persist at the state and local level over whether and how to mandate sexual health education (SHE), many states, districts, and schools in the United States have adopted comprehensive SHE programs [1]
This study aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the current experiences of teachers and students of the Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) curriculum? (2) What is recommended to improve upon those experiences? and (3) What role might critical pedagogy play in either current implementation or in recommendations for curricular changes? The central proposition of this study is that a curriculum that is more implementable by teachers and more engaging to students will better facilitate student learning, thereby contributing to elimination of sexual health inequities in Chicago
A third subsection outlines the ways in which these findings align with key characteristics of critical pedagogy
Summary
Tensions persist at the state and local level over whether and how to mandate sexual health education (SHE), many states, districts, and schools in the United States have adopted comprehensive SHE programs [1]. Comprehensive SHE curricula include information about building healthy relationships, including safer sex practices to reduce pregnancy and STI transmission, and focus on personal skill development including communication and decision making [2,3]. Many such programs are intended to be. LGBTQ+ inclusive [1,2,3].
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