Primary School Puberty/Sexuality Education: Student-Teachers' Past Learning, Present Professional Education, and Intention to Teach These Subjects

Y

15

Foreign Countries; Puberty; Sex Education; Preservice Teachers; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary Education; Intention; Grade 6; Cognitive Processes; Student Experience; Knowledge Level; Correlation; Teacher Qualifications; Mixed Methods Research; Interviews; Content Analysis; Personal Narratives

10.1080/14681811.2012.719827

1468-1811

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 student-teachers 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. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

As Provided

67

2014

EJ1012631