Primary school puberty/sexuality education: student-teachers' past learning, present professional education, and intention to teach these subjects

Abstract

Primary school teachers are often tasked with puberty/sexuality education for students who are undergoing sexual maturation at ever-earlier ages. This study explores the changing trajectories of the pre-service learning and teaching of primary school puberty/sexuality education at an urban university, including student-teachers' childhood learning, professional pre-service studies, and technological educational future. Biographical narratives and a theoretically based conceptual and diagnostic framework are used to analyse the views of fourth-year Bachelor of Education studentteachers about their own primary school puberty/sexuality education, their present university professional education for teaching these subjects, and their intentionality to teach them to future Grade 6 school students. Results show that these student-teachers intend to replicate their own primary school learning experiences. Pre-service professional education appears to have failed to operationalise the contemporary learning and teaching of puberty/sexuality education that would allow a new generation of more effective knowledge and pedagogies to be implemented.

Socio-praxis preferences in teacher preparation for child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting

“…Education about child well-being, safety and protection is seen as a universal and cost-effective baseline initiative. However, sexuality education in schools is not coherent, consistent or compulsory (see Goldman & Coleman, 2013), even in the new, nation-wide Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014). Chaplains, but not secular/humanist counsellors, will provide pastoral care to schools through state/territory jurisdictions funded by the Commonwealth Government, after Australia's High Court twice rejected the original directly funded federal programme as unconstitutional (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2014).…”

“…Education professionals are deeply troubled by child abuse, particularly sexual abuse, and by the pastoral and practical challenges, and mandatory procedures, surrounding prevention and protective detection in schools (Goldman, 2010;Goldman & Coleman, 2013;Goldman & Collier-Harris, 2012). Instances of child sexual abuse, exploitation and pornography are rarely detected or reported (Berelowitz, Clifton, Firimin, Gulyurtlu, & Edwards, 2013;Freyd et al, 2005;McClellan, 2013) in a timely way, but prevalence studies show that up to 46% of women and about 20% of men experienced sexual abuse when they were children (Dunne, Purdie, Cook, Boyle, & Najman, 2003;Goldman & Goldman, 1988;Goldman & Padayachi, 1997;Jenny, 2008;Moore et al, 2010;United Nations Children's Fund, 2014;World Health Organisation [WHO], 2014).…”

Equipping early childhood educators to support the development of sexuality in childhood: Identification of pre- and post-service training needs

“…Much of the research examining pre-and post-service sexual health training targets elementary, middle and intermediate school teachers (e.g., Goldman & Coleman, 2013;Silkonson, 2009;van Leent, 2017). Although sexual health education is mandated by the Ministries of Education in each province and territory in Canada, McKay and Barrett (1999) found a lack of consistent pre-service sexuality health training in their study of Canadian Bachelor of Education programs.…”

The Elephant in the (Class)Room: Parental Perceptions of LGBTQ-inclusivity in K-12 Educational Contexts

“…Recent research with Australian secondary teachers of sexual education found that 44% of a sample of 226 teachers from across every state and jurisdiction were "careful" about the topics they covered because of "possible adverse community reaction" (Smith et al, 2011, p. 27), with 16% reporting never mentioning sexual orientation or same-sex attraction at any point during the secondary years of schooling. Teacher concerns are no doubt linked to their sense of underpreparedness for covering these topics (Goldman & Coleman, 2013); for instance, Smith et al (2011) found 16% of their sample had received no training in sexuality education and the majority of those who had received training did so while in-service (54%) rather than during their teacher education degree. Furthermore, teachers appear to be unclear about what is allowable and/or mandated with regards to LGBTQ education and what is not (Duffy et al, 2013;Milton, 2010), an issue undoubtedly aided by a vague national HPE curriculum (Ferfolja & Ullman, 2014).…”