Professional Development on Sexual Health Education Is Associated With Coverage of Sexual Health Topics

Abstract

Background. Sexual health education plays a vital role in preventing adverse consequences of sexual behavior. Data are limited on how professional development (PD) for teachers is associated with teaching sexual health content. Method. We used data from the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study, a cross-sectional survey that included a nationally representative sample of middle and high school health education courses (n = 328; 96.2% of those sampled). We examined whether teacher characteristics and receipt of PD on four sexual health domains (human sexuality and the prevention of pregnancy, HIV, and sexually transmitted diseases) were associated with teaching those four domains and whether PD was associated with teaching specific topics within each domain. In a second set of analyses, we compared the difference in coverage of specific topics by receipt of PD among only the teachers who reported teaching the domain. Results. The prevalence of teaching sexual health content was higher among courses in which teachers had a degree in health education or were certified to teach health education. A robust relationship between teachers' receipt of PD and the teaching of nearly all sexual health topics as well as an increase in the mean number of topics taught and the time devoted to the domain was demonstrated. Conclusions. PD has a positive impact on the coverage of sexual health topics among middle and high school courses. These data suggest a need for more PD on sexual health education content to ensure that sexual health topics are taught in the classroom.

Proximity to Screening Site, Rurality, and Neighborhood Disadvantage: Treatment Status among Individuals with Sexually Transmitted Infections in Yakima County, Washington

“…Educational material, workshops, and resources should be made freely available in neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic status to provide information on safe sexual behavior, the importance of screening for STIs, and adverse outcomes associated with untreated STIs. Such resources can lead to reductions in the transmission of STIs, the duration of infection, the development of complications, and the health and economic burden of STIs [29,30]. Healthcare providers should be not only reeducated or refreshed on re-testing and screening practices, but also made aware of contextual characteristics that can influence people's treatment seeking behavior.…”

Improving practice: Giving voice to the experiences of sexual health education teachers

“…Overall, study findings suggest that teachers participating in this study believed teaching SHE was important; however, the beliefs they held regarding the coverage of essential topics and the need for SHE focused more on reducing risks and not on the use of a comprehensive approach (Goldfarb and Liberman, 2021). The need for additional training and support was documented, and good quality professional development has the potential to improve both the delivery of SHE and teacher self-efficacy (Clayton et al, 2018; Fackler and Malmberg, 2016; Marshall et al, 2020; Wilson et al, 2015). Professional development models in which teachers learn, analyse, dialogue, assess competence against standards, and evaluate personal beliefs improve self-efficacy (Ollis, 2010).…”

“…However, less than 51% offered professional development (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). Good quality SHE is dependent on pre-service preparation, qualified teachers and continuing professional development (CDC, 2020; Clayton et al, 2018).…”

“…Studies have also shown professional development increases the number of topics teachers taught. Barriers to effective instruction include teacher beliefs, pre-service experiences, self-efficacy, access to resources, and lack of support (Bruess and Schroeder, 2018; Clayton et al, 2018; Duffy et al, 2013).…”

The Influence of Health Education Teacher Characteristics on Students' Health‐Related Knowledge Gains

“…In addition to teacher qualifications, teachers' continuous engagement in PD is imperative for improving subject‐matter knowledge, instruction, and student achievement . Furthermore, PD covering both content knowledge and instructional technique has been found more effective in improving student test scores than PD without such skill‐building activities …”