Teaching Sexuality Education Research Articles

Theorizing the Role of Sex Educators in the Resistance and Reification of Epistemic Injustices Related to the Sexual Expression of People with Intellectual Disability.

People with intellectual disability face a variety of epistemic injustices-systems of knowledge and educational inequality-related to their access to sex education and perceptions of their sexuality. Sex educators are in a position to address these injustices; however, they may not be fully aware of their own epistemic ethics. Furthermore, there is little theoretical understanding of how sex educators provide instruction within an environment that exhibits hostility toward the sexual expression of those with intellectual disability. This grounded theory study of interviews with 58 people who taught sex education to people with intellectual disability sought to understand the role of educators in perpetuating and resisting epistemic injustice by utilizing sex education to either facilitate or restrict the sexual expression of people with disabilities. We identified four micro-contexts: centralizing capacity to consent, emphasizing risk, desexualizing (through) sex education, and acknowledging gender identity. In each micro-context, we explore mechanisms of how educators were either allied in support of autonomy (person-centered values, expertise, access to curricular resources, self-advocates as teachers and partners, subversiveness, and de-problematizing normative sexual behavior) or reified sexual stigmas (fear of sexual abuse and sexual perpetration, conscripting to asexuality, the paternalistic service system, and complex ethical dilemmas) in the context of hostility to sex education and sexual expression. These findings have implications for promoting prosocial sexual expression and access to sex education for people with intellectual disability.

Teachers perspectives on positive and inclusive sex education in Dutch secondary schools

Abstract Sex education in schools can play an important role in improving young people’s sexual health. Dutch youth are often dissatisfied with the sex education they receive at school; they want more attention to discussing pleasure, consent and diversity. While there have been various calls for positive and inclusive sex education over the past decade, still very few schools provide it. This study examined teachers’ perspectives on positive and inclusive sex education and documents the barriers teachers are confronted with in providing this type of sex education. Based on an online questionnaire survey of 508 sex education teachers, we examined the extent to which teachers possess the knowledge, attitudes and skills that facilitate the delivery of positive and inclusive sex education. We also held focus groups with 25 teachers from 10 schools and explored what they consider to be key barriers and best practices in teaching positive and inclusive sex education. Teachers overall have the knowledge, attitudes and skills that are needed to provide positive and inclusive sex education, but there is room for improvement, for example regarding knowledge on intersex individuals and the clitoris. Teachers experienced barriers at three levels: the personal level (e.g. personal discomfort), the classroom level (e.g., safety in the classroom) and the structural level (e.g. sex education not being part of the national curriculum; lack of time). Structural barriers seem to be at the basis of the barriers at the personal and classroom level. It is advised that positive and inclusive sex education gets a permanent place in the national curriculum. By developing concrete core objectives in the area of relationships, sexuality and diversity, for all grades, and by providing more extensive teacher training, teachers and schools will be facilitated to organize sex education in a more sustainable way. Key messages • Sex education teachers in the Netherlands desire better training to provide positive and inclusive sex education in the classroom. • Integrating sex education in the national curriculum would help teachers to address sexuality in a more sustainable way in the classroom.

Adapting a human sexuality curriculum for students with disabilities

Background: The US Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education. However, it does not specifically include the subject of health education. Currently, 30 US states require public schools to teach sexuality education as a part of the health education curriculum, but 36 do not include youth with disabilities in their sexuality education requirements. Objective: The current situation is particularly concerning due to the higher rates of unplanned pregnancy, sexual abuse, and sexually transmitted infections experienced by teenagers with disabilities. Students from across several disability groups report societal barriers, physical barriers, and poor educational outcomes with respect to sexuality education. Results: This review article sought to investigate the current state of sexuality education for students with disabilities, as well as best practices to support the learning of sexuality education content. Conclusion: Focusing sexuality education classes on practical ways so as to develop relationships, promote self-advocacy and self-determination, and incorporate privacy messages, can support students with disabilities to make healthy choices.

Utah Young Adults Describe What They Wished They Had Learned in Sex Education: A Qualitative Study.

Utah implements an abstinence-based approach to sex education. However, research has found that abstinence-based sex education is associated with higher risk-taking behaviors, and youth would like more from their school-based sex education. This study examined what sex education information or programs young adults in Utah would have liked to receive during high school. Participants provided responses to a single open-ended question included in the Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey. The results of a thematic analysis show the emergence of four salient themes, including fundamental knowledge, contraception and sexually transmitted infection prevention, personal safety, consent, and abuse. Findings suggest that participants wanted sex education beyond just abstinence and stressed the importance of inclusive education. Recommendations for school nurses and the important role they play in delivering sex education include receiving education needed to teach sex education and working with school health educators to act as a resource.

Folklore and Sexuality Education: A Review of the Pedagogical Value of “Tselane le Dimo”

South African youths experience high rates of HIV infections and unintended pregnancies. In an effort to mitigate these challenges, the Department of Basic Education introduced Comprehensive Sexuality Education in its syllabus with an intention to equip learners with the necessary skills to manage their sexual behaviours. Despite this intervention, educators in the townships have been reluctant to teach this topic. Teachers’ reluctance is informed by cultural and religious sensitivities towards discussing sexual topics with minors. This article proposes that the reluctance towards teaching sexual education topics can be managed by relying on alternative methodologies of knowledge impartment. Since time immemorial, African societies have used folktales to impart knowledge between generations. We use a functional approach to evaluate the pedagogical value of “Tselane Le Dimo” in teaching sexuality education. We are conscious of the fact that the folktale does not contain explicit references to sex, but we argue through a sociological evaluation that the language used in the folktale references sex when it is viewed through the lens of colloquial language that is commonly used by youth. This article employs a qualitative approach in the evaluation of the pedagogical value of the folktale “Tselane le Dimo.” An interpretive phenomenological analysis is used to analyse the folktale. We use this analysis approach with the view that this folktale can be used as a tool for making sense of lived experiences. The findings indicate that words used in this folktale carry euphemistic value, which makes it possible to make references to sexual activities without being blunt about it.

Teachers navigating the sociocultural challenges of teaching sexuality education to South African learners

Objective: Globally, South Africa has the highest rate of HIV infection, nevertheless, society and communities seem hesitant to entrust teachers with the responsibility to teach their children about sexuality issues. This study examined how Further Education and Training Life Orientation teachers navigate the sociocultural complexities of teaching sexuality education. Design: A qualitative, narrative study was conducted. Data were generated using narrative frames, collages, and lesson observations. Setting: Six Life Orientation teachers from six schools in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa participated. Results: Life Orientation teachers faced a range of sociocultural challenges when teaching sexuality education. The following strategies were used to mitigate these challenges: avoiding teaching about contradicting cultural and religious beliefs; using social media platforms; involving specialists, peer educators and role models; and adopting pastoral and parental roles. Conclusion: Collaborative opportunities between Life Orientation teachers, specialists, role models and community members or organisations could offer a supportive role and influence the teaching of sexuality education positively. Social media platforms and innovative teaching strategies could enhance the quality and teaching of sexuality education.

X-raying educator-related factors hindering sexuality education implementation in rural South African schools: learners’ perspectives

BackgroundAlthough numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of well-implemented school-based sexuality education in promoting young people’s sexual and reproductive health outcomes, the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among school-going adolescents in rural schools located in the King Cetshwayo District of South Africa suggests it fell short of its objectives of reducing learners’ vulnerability, enhancing decision-making abilities, and raising self-efficacy in these schools. This study focused on learners’ experiences with their schools’ sexuality education programs.MethodsThis was a qualitative, interpretative phenomenological study. Data was collected from 84 participants across nine schools in the study setting using focus group interviews. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework was followed to analyze the data.ResultsThe results of the study showed that educator-centered impediments to effective school-based sexuality education included attitudes, beliefs, age differences, health status, prior experiences, and personal discomfort. The results further indicated that these obstacles have a detrimental effect on the pedagogical effectiveness of sexuality education teachers in implementing the curriculum in the study setting and, consequently, on the sexual well-being of the learners.ConclusionBased on the study’s findings, pre-service sexuality education pedagogy training is recommended for student teachers, as well as ongoing in-service training and re-training interventions and support for sexuality education teachers, to address the identified barriers and improve their pedagogical efficacy.

Exploring the Experiences of Muslim Early Childhood Educators in Teaching Sexuality Education

Early childhood sexuality education is essential for safeguarding young children against inappropriate sexual content and potential abuse. This study underscores the importance of such education within the context of Muslim teachers. The primary objective of this research is to gain insights into the practical implementation of sexuality education during early childhood. The study encompasses the participation of 248 Muslim early childhood teachers. By collecting open-ended inquiries, analyzing responses verbatim, and categorizing the results, the research illuminates the multifaceted responsibilities of these teachers. Their roles include providing guidance on toileting, mitigating self-touch behaviors, addressing sexual curiosity, promoting genital health and hygiene, preventing sexual harassment, and recognizing the spectrum of gender roles. The findings highlight the urgency of developing a well-structured curriculum, fostering collaboration between parents and teachers, providing specialized teacher training, promoting a positive public perception of sexuality education, and ensuring substantial government involvement in early childhood sexual education.

The Influence of Transformational Leadership on the Implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Sustainable Outcomes

The study focused on the influence of transformational leadership on the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education for sustainable outcomes in selected secondary schools of Muchinga Province of Zambia. The main objectives were to establish the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, to explore leadership influence on the implementation and to assess the benefits of implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education on learners in selected rural public Secondary Schools of Muchinga Province of Zambia. The research employed qualitative method. It employed descriptive design. Study sample comprised of headteachers, teachers, parents and learners with the total number of 64. It employed three instruments namely; semi structured interviews and observation checklist. The research findings established that, Comprehensive Sexuality Education was taught as integrated in other subjects using methodologies that engaged learners while learning sexuality issues, School leadership championed the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, they motivated learners and teachers by providing guidance and, encouraging also awarding those who are well behaved with sponsorship. They also promoted individualized consideration through mandatory one on one counselling on sexuality issues which is a deliberate policy in all the three schools. The research discovered that, learners benefited from Comprehensive Sexuality Education because they gained knowledge on Comprehensive Sexuality Education as revealed by parent respondents, it was also discovered that sexuality cases were reduced from 1457 in 2015 to 453 in 2023 by 1004 in cases of sexuality and in 2014 when the implementation started the total sexuality related cases stood at 1375 which was later reduced to 117 in 2023. It is recommended that, school leadership should champion the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in all school, learners should take responsibility of acquiring sexuality skills, knowledge, values, right altitude and of making informed decisions appropriately. It is highly recommended that, the government should develop a deliberate policy of teaching and monitoring Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a standalone. The future recommendation from this study was that, A research on influence of transformational leadership on the implementation of comprehensive sexuality Education for sustainable outcomes in selected rural public secondary schools would be worthwise in order to establish the expected outcomes on learners. The same research should be conducted in Chinsali District.

The ins and outs of bodies: sex educators’ embodied insights on official/erotic discourses

ABSTRACT In this scholarship, I present insights from a sensory ethnographic study on novice educators’ embodied experiences of learning to teach sex education. I query how educators sense-make their role as knowledgeable sex educators in relation to the official and erotic discourses of sex education, and examine the experiential divisions between these discourses. Employing an arts-based approach to data generation and interpretation, my central argument proposes that increasing the permeability of the boundaries between official and erotic discourses in sex education can expand the ways learners’ bodies are understood in erotic, relational, and intimate contexts within pedagogy. By presenting these arguments, I aim to contribute to addressing the enduring challenges of the discourse of erotics ‘being’ in K-12 sex education and suggests ways to support educators in delivering effective pedagogical practices.

Experiences of Sexuality Education Educators in Secondary Schools of Mbarara Municipality, Uganda

While schools in Uganda have sexuality education implementation programs in place, adolescents enrolled in school continue to have considerable concerns about sexuality. This indicates that there is still a gap in the teaching of sexuality education. Understanding, that the pursuit of excellent educational outcomes cannot understate the significance of educators. The objectives of the study were to understand how teachers have influenced the implementation of sexuality education in schools and to understand their influence. We explored their sexuality education teaching experiences. For this study, we purposively sampled 12 teachers from six secondary schools in Mbarara Municipality. These were classroom teachers teaching Biology, Christian Religious education, and Literature, subjects in which topics about sexuality are included. Others were male and female senior teachers in charge of guidance and counselling; and teacher patrons to sexuality learning-related activities outside the classroom. Data was transcribed and analyzed through thematic coding of opinions, feelings, and practices of teachers. Results indicated that the majority of teachers experience discomfort when teaching this subject. To most teachers, this discomfort was attributed to 1. Lack of proper training. 2. Others had strong cultural values and beliefs that made them uncomfortable teaching about sexuality in open places like the classroom. 3. Another minority, were not consulted before being appointed into counselling positions, therefore did not feel obliged to take on the assignment. 5. Lack of instruction materials. 6. Findings also revealed that students are not comfortable learning from their teachers, whom they consider as “second parents” and hence they join and learn more from peers and other adults. 7. While all students, learn about sexuality, only a few teachers are assigned this duty, this has created a teaching burden due to the low teacher-student ratio especially for duties like guidance and counselling and patronising of sexuality education programs. Thus, we deduced that SE was being jeopardised by teachers' inefficacy, attitude, and low teacher-student ratio, and interaction of informal peer educators. We concluded that sexuality education educators, are most effective when they are equipped with skills, their consent to participate is sought, the education does not interfere with their values and when they do not carry an overload of assignments. From the findings, it was also evident that teachers are not the best choice schools should use to guide and counsel students about sexuality. Peers and medical personnel are preferred to teachers. Hence, when the identified gaps are attended to sexuality education will be more efficient to protect and keep skills with adolescents undergoing this education. To improve teacher performance, we recommend that schools assist their teachers in pursuing SE training, seek teachers consent before appointing them into SE educating or counselling positions, support them and offer teaching materials. The low teacher-to-student ratio be resolved by assigning more teacher educators SE roles. Our findings indicate that students feel more at ease studying with their peers than with teachers; hence, we recommended increasing the amount of supervised peer-to-peer SE learning in schools. We also discovered that students value media education, thus we recommend that schools offer more adult-guided media literacy instruction.

Special education teachers’ attitudes towards teaching sex education to students with intellectual disabilities in Malaysia

All children have the right to be adequately informed about sex and sexuality, while the sex education for students with intellectual disabilities in Malaysia is limited. Teachers’ attitudes towards sex education determine the goals and process of implementing sex education programmes. The study aimed to investigate special education teachers’ attitudes towards sex education for children with intellectual disabilities in Malaysia. A total of 179 special education teachers participated in the study and we found special education teachers had a positive attitude towards sex education in general for intellectual disabilities in Malaysia. And the influencing factors of special education teachers’ attitude were age, degree of education, teachers’ teaching qualification, teachers’ experience of sex education for students, sex education training, teachers’ teaching age and school location.

Sex Ed in the City: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Students’ Experience

Since January 2012, New York City public schools have been mandated to provide sexual health education in middle and high school as part of comprehensive health education. Nonetheless, anecdotal reports from students suggest that their sex education was inadequate. Twenty-seven students in a large community college in New York City participated in individual structured interviews about their experience of sex education in the city’s public schools. Various students recalled the degree of comfort that many of their teachers had in teaching sexuality education, and several students found the course helpful. But some students found that while their courses covered the required material, it was often superficial and ineffective, and did not support their developing healthy, loving relationships. Confirming findings from previous research, many students felt their instruction was ‘too little, too late.’ Among the 24 high schools represented by study participants, it is clear that there is great variability in course content and delivery, and instructors may need more training, supervision, and support to effectively comply with the mandate for comprehensive sexuality education.

Relationships and Sex Education teaching in English secondary schools and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on school education resulted in class disruption and fragmented online teaching. Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) was made compulsory in England in 2020, but the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on RSE is unclear. In this study, 16 teachers working in English secondary schools participated in online qualitative, semi-structured interviews on their experiences teaching RSE. Themes were identified using deductive and inductive codes as part of a thematic analysis process. Participants taught children aged 11–18 in independent, comprehensive and academy schools. Teachers found it difficult to deliver high quality RSE lessons because of concern that available material would be inappropriate for virtual delivery. Fragmentation of teaching also limited the development of pupil-teacher rapport, highlighted as key to effective RSE. Extra-curricular initiatives were also disrupted by the pandemic, persisting even after face-to-face teaching returned as schools focused on ‘core’ academic subjects. RSE teaching was seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and although face to face teaching has resumed, healthy peer-on-peer relationships remain impacted by fragmented teaching. Ongoing prioritisation of RSE, and the appropriate use of digital resources, will support young people moving forward and help prepare for any future disruption of to face-to-face teaching.

The Comparison of Eastern and Western Societies Attitudes Towards Offering Sex Education in Schools

Sex education is considered as a rather sensitive topic in school worldwide, and differs in various aspects. It involves policies of governments, devoted resources, social norms, education of teachers, depth of content and feedback from students. Eastern countries and regions are more conservative. Though policies have been revised on supporting sex education in school and effort on balancing resources have been made, there are still difficulties to overcome. For instance, violating social norms, educating teachers to know the strategies on giving sex education and being provided with feedback from students in order to improve tactics used. Western countries are generally more open to sex education in school, resources have been devoted into it and policies have been made decades ago. Though it is controversial on which kind of sex education is most suitable for students, governments would listen to feedback from students and teachers on their advices. This paper provides with detailed conclusion on the above-mentioned points comparing between Eastern and Western aspects on teaching sex education in school.

6.O. Workshop: Overview of Comprehensive Sexuality Education Status in Moldova, Georgia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

Abstract Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a key dimension of overall health and wellbeing of individuals. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is one of the most important means of promoting and supporting youth is their sexual and overall development, and a key component of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention. It is widely recognised that school plays a central role in learning about health and health promotion skills, including sexuality and sexual health. Nevertheless, there is often a lack of evaluation of CSE implementation in school curriculums. This is why UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and BZgA (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung), in cooperation with UNESCO((United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), WHO (World Health Organization) and IPPF EN (International Planned Parenthood Federation), conducted a study in Moldova, Georgia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to assess the status of CSE. In this workshop, we will describe the study process, reflect on the main findings in four countries and discuss two case studies of Moldova and Georgia. The speakers will also share their experiences of translating these findings into advocacy measures and achievements since the study conducted in 2022. The data was collected using the standardized Sexuality Education Review and Assessment Tool (SERAT) via desk reviews of relevant policies, curricula and national data, questionnaires, stakeholder interviews (e.g., with teachers, representatives of technical working groups and ministries of education, young people) and discussions to validate the findings. Overall, we have seen that all four countries teach sexuality education, which is supported by adequate legal and policy frameworks, and integrate it into their school curricula. The comprehensiveness of the curriculum, teacher training and learning methods differ across the four countries. In Georgia, the biggest CSE-related challenge is that there is a stigma in society around sexuality-related issues and there is a need to support an open dialog with key stakeholders. In Moldova, this was the second SERAT assessment within 5 years, which demonstrated a significant progress in the development of sexuality education program since 2017, achieving a much higher score of compliance with the international standards for CSE. Key messages • This study shows that the four countries assessed are on a positive track in implementing and expanding their sexuality education programmes, which are supported by a legal and policy environment. • Gaps still remain in teacher training, monitoring and evaluation, and the comprehensiveness of the delivered content.

Overview of key findings on CSE status in 4 countries

Abstract We used SERAT to assess the implementation of CSE in four countries. The data collection took place between December 2021 and July 2022. All four countries teach sexuality education, which is supported by adequate legal and policy frameworks, and integrate it into their school curricula. The comprehensiveness of the curriculum, teacher training and learning methods differ across the four countries. The integration of the sexuality education concepts varies across countries. Relationships and values topics are generally more present in the curricula across all age groups. Topics with lesser attention are gender, sexual behavior and sexuality. The content is more comprehensive for the age group 12-15, followed by 15-18 in all countries. All countries integrate learner-centred learning techniques and employ different teaching strategies for sexuality education, including participatory methods. Overall, there is a lack of school-based SRH services and commodities, including contraception. In countries where school-based health services exist, nurses often do not have guidelines or a mandate to provide relevant information. Monitoring and evaluation is one of the weakest components of all programmes in three of the four countries. To conclude, there is a need to enhance the content in all age groups, improve teacher training and provide materials to teachers and students, strengthen links with health services, involve relevant stakeholders in curricula development and introduce measurable monitoring and impact indicators.

The teaching body in sexuality education – intersections of age, gender, and sexuality

ABSTRACT This paper illuminates how teachers are influenced by age, gender and sexuality in teaching about sex and relationships. In this analysis grounded in feminist theory, age, gender and sexuality are considered to be enacted as doings. Six interviews with teachers working with sexuality education in K-12 schools in Sweden were chosen from of a larger body of material consisting of 21 interviews with professionals engaged in school-based sexuality education. The six interviewees were selected because they explicitly addressed how teachers’ age, gender and/or sexuality come to matter in the classroom. Findings show how male and female teachers organise their teaching in relation to normative expectations of age, gender and sexuality. In sexuality education, the diverse life-courses of (hetero)sexual women offer a wide range of pedagogic possibilities for female teachers to address issues of sexuality, consent and relationships whereas male teachers are constrained to doing safe(r) forms of masculinity by directing attention away from their bodies and experiences. In understanding these results, I argue that the figure of the tant has been key in forming the pedagogic backdrop to Swedish sexuality education, hence embedding a normative ‘who’ in the ‘how’ to teach sexuality education.

Cutting facts and values together-apart: an agential realist exploration of Swedish sexuality education

ABSTRACT Drawing from a practice-based research study in Swedish secondary schools, the aim of this paper is to explore how facts and values are made and unmade as separate and entangled phenomena in sexuality education. In this exploration, we work with a posthumanist approach – agential realism – and more specifically the concept of agential cuts. The empirical material draws from two moments in the teaching of sexuality education, one concerning nakedness and one concerning gender diversity. The analysis puts forward how the lesson topics in relation to school subjects and exercises become significant actors in how facts and values are enacted in the teaching. This implies that facts and values are enacted together-apart within a relational set of interdependency and hence are always present although temporarily more forcefully and ephemeral. To conclude, we discuss the complexities of how facts and values are part of enacting the everchanging knowledge area of sexuality education and urge for acknowledgement of this matter.

A Comparative Study of Sex Education in Primary and Secondary Schools in China and the United States

Sex education is of great significance for the healthy growth and wellbeing for children and adolescence. Currently, the importance of sex education is learnt by a growing number of people globally. The thesis cites progresses made in sex education of China and the United States and compares the histories of sex education, sex education in schools and families of the two countries, finding out the differences. It is found that compared with developed countries such as the United States, China still has some shortcomings in sex education. The sex-related curriculums in China are not well arranged and the Chinese teachers of sex education are not fully trained. Besides, Chinese parents do not play their parts well in sex education. Then, referring to the advantages of sex education in the United States, five suggestions are raised to improve sex education in China. Policies about sex education should be made, curriculums and teachers of sex education need to be more appropriate for current children, evaluating systems should be built and parents attendance in sex education ought to be attached more importance to.