Sexuality education in Montana public high schools with a focus on implementation

Graduation date: 1986The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether the 1981\ud recommendation by the Montana State Board of Public Education had in\ud fluenced actual implementation of sexuality education in that state.\ud The study also sought to describe sexuality education in Montana and to\ud assess perceptions of Montana public high school principals regarding\ud its implementation in their schools.\ud Data were collected by means of self-administered, return-mail questionnaires completed by 102 (60 percent) of Montana public high school\ud principals in the spring of 1984. Fifty-six (54.9 percent) of subjects\ud completed Questionnaire #1 which was designed for principals of schools\ud that did not offer sexuality education (non-implementors). Forty-six\ud (45.1 percent) of subjects completed Questionnaire #2, which was designed for principals of schools that offered sexuality education\ud (implementors).\ud The binomial test for normal approximation disclosed that a significant number of schools had not implemented sexuality education since\ud the 1981 recommendation. Chi square analysis revealed significant differences between the two subgroups with respect to: (a) use of specific\ud implementation processes; (b) principals' perceptions of support for sexuality education and (c) principals' report of requests for sexuality\ud education.\ud The thesis ends with a discussion of the study's implications.\ud Recommendations for implementing sexuality education in Montana public\ud high schools are provided as well as recommendations for future research