Puberty, health and sexual education in Australian regional primary schools : Year 5 and 6 teacher perceptions
- Authors: Duffy, Bernadette , Fotinatos, Nina , Smith, Amanda , Burke, Jenene
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sex Education Vol. 13, no. 2 (2013), p. 186-203
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The research reported in this paper investigates why teachers in regional primary schools in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia, are choosing to outsource the teaching of sexuality education. A survey was conducted of 29 Year 5 and Year 6 teachers from local primary schools. The teachers provided information about: their confidence in delivering sexuality-related topics; their perceptions of the relevance of given sexuality topics to their students; the teachers' own professional development preferences; and what they saw as their personal limitations in teaching sexuality education. Teachers tended to report low confidence in teaching topics that are considered 'sensitive', such as menstruation, wet dreams and sexual intercourse. Furthermore, they indicated a need for professional development in teaching sexuality education. The greatest hurdle identified lies in identifying how to motivate, engage and support teachers to take a professional interest in teaching sexuality education. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
- Description: 2003009651
The provision of sexual health education in Australia : primary school teachers' perspectives in rural Victoria
- Authors: Smith, Amanda , Fotinatos, Nina , Duffy, Bernadette , Burke, Jenene
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sex Education Vol. 13, no. 3 (2013), p. 247-262
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: In Australian schools, one significant component of whole-school learning in sexuality education is to provide students with developmentally appropriate curriculum and learning opportunities, with the intention of influencing positive health and well-being. In the situation where the usual classroom teacher is under-prepared or unwilling to teach sexuality education to their students, the use of external providers who are experts in puberty and sexual health is crucial. While the provider is a key influential factor in any sexual health programme, reliance on external providers for the provision of sexuality education in regional Australian cities is not well documented. This mixed-method study aims to address this gap in the literature with a specific focus on Ballarat, where the provision of sexuality education, particularly in primary schools, is heavily reliant on several external providers. Participant schools highlight the need for further positive synergies between the classroom teachers, external agencies and the accessibility of a rigorous curriculum to sustain the delivery of an effective programme to young people in schools. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
- Description: 1117 Public Health And Health Services
- Description: 1302 Curriculum And Pedagogy
- Description: 1699 Other Studies in Human Society
- Description: 2003010671