A Bourdieuen analysis of learners’ expectations of sexuality education: implications for teacher education

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Date
2014-07
Authors
Botha, Maria Gertruida
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Much research has been done on Sexuality Education because of the importance of this topic. In South Africa Sexuality Education forms part of the Life Orientation curriculum and falls under the personal well-being outcome (Department of Basic Education, 2008:8). Life Orientation promotes the development of skills, knowledge and attitudes that learners can use to respond to life’s challenges. Learners should be taught what sexuality is, which includes their attitudes, values and beliefs regarding this topic. They should be assisted in understanding their attitudes towards sexuality and in taking control of their sexual behaviour. School-based Sexuality Education programmes are an effective vehicle to improve young people’s sexual health through the development of sexual competence. The effectiveness of these programmes depends largely on how comfortable and confident the teacher is with sexual learning content. During training LO teachers are not equipped to teach Sexuality Education with confidence, which influences the effectiveness of Sexuality Education programmes. It is widely recognised that not enough attention is paid to Sexuality Education in tertiary institutions because there exists no mandated national curriculum for Sexuality Education. Each tertiary institution decides to what degree it wants to include Sexuality Education in its pre- service training curriculum. To improve the efficacy of Sexuality Education programmes the voices of those being taught should be heard. The most significant and relevant background to sexual behaviour are the teenagers’ own sexual beliefs, attitudes and skills. Young people should be acknowledged as good judges of what content they need. This will empower them with the ability to make positive sexual decisions. Young people want Sexuality Education to move away from a sex-negative approach to a sex- positive one. In this regard numerous studies criticise the preventative slant of sexuality programmes and appeal for programmes that take learners’ needs into consideration.
Afrikaans: Baie navorsing is reeds gedoen oor Seksualiteitsopvoeding omdat dit so ʼn belangrike onderwerp is. In Suid-Afrika vorm Seksualiteitsopvoeding deel van die Lewensoriëntering-kurrikulum en val onder die “Persoonlike Welstand”-uitkoms (Departement van Basiese Onderwys, 2008:8). Lewensoriëntering bevorder die ontwikkeling van vaardighede, kennis en houdings, wat leerders kan aanwend om te reageer op die lewe se uitdagings. Leerders moet geleer word wat seksualiteit is, wat hulle houdings, waardes en oortuigings rakende die onderwerp, insluit. Hulle moet bygestaan word om hulle houdings teenoor seksualiteit te verstaan en om beheer te neem van hulle seksuele gedrag. Skoolgebaseerde Seksualiteitsopvoedingsprogramme is ‘n effektiewe wyse om jong mense se seksuele gesondheid te verbeter deur die ontwikkeling van seksuele bekwaamheid. Die doeltreffendheid van hierdie programme hang grootliks af van hoe gemaklik en vol selfvertroue die onderwyser met seksuele leerinhoud is. L.O.-onderwysers word nie tydens opleiding toegerus om Seksualiteitsopvoeding met selfvertroue aan te bied nie wat die doeltreffendheid van Seksualiteitsopvoedingsprogramme beïnvloed. Dit word algemeen erken dat daar nie genoeg aandag aan Seksualiteitsopvoeding by tersiêre instellings gegee word nie. Dit is as gevolg van die afwesigheid van ‘n mandaat nasionale kurrikulum vir Seksualiteitsopvoeding. Elke tersiêre instelling besluit tot watter mate hy Seksualiteitsopvoeding in sy pre-diensopleiding kurrikulum wil insluit. Om Seksualiteitsopvoedingsprogramme meer effektief te maak, moet diegene wat opgevoed word hul stemme laat hoor. Die belangrikste en tersaaklikste agtergrond van seksuele gedrag is die tieners se eie seksuele oortuigings, houdings en vaardighede. Jong mense moet geag word as bevoegde beoordelaars van die inhoud wat hulle benodig. Dit sal hulle bemagtig met die vermoë om positiewe seksuele besluite te neem. Jongmense wil hê Seksualiteitsopvoeding moet wegbeweeg van ʼn seks-negatiewe-benadering na ʼn seks-positiewe-benadering. In hierdie verband kritiseer talle studies die voorkomende inslag van seksualiteitsprogramme en doen ʼn beroep op programme wat leerders se behoeftes in ag neem.
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Sexuality education, Life orientation, Adolescent, Pedagogy, Teachers, Sexuality, Gender, Secondary schools, Sex instruction, Bourdieu, Pierre -- 1930-2002, Dissertation (M.Ed. (Higher Education))--University of the Free State, 2014
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