Learning and teaching about sexual health in lower secondary grades – teachers’ perceptions

Meginmarkmið þessarar rannsóknar er að öðlast innsýn í reynslu, viðhorf og skilning kennara á kynfræðslu og mikilvægi hennar, hvernig henni er háttað og hvernig þeir telja að henni ætti að vera háttað á unglingastigi. Tilgangurinn er með öðrum orðum að varpa ljósi á mikilvægi þess að hafa markvissa kynfræðslu á unglingastigi í grunnskólum landsins. Fjallað er almennt um kynfræðslu, kynheilbrigði unglinga, kennsluhætti, námsefni og kennara sem annast kynfræðslu. Tekin voru viðtöl við fimm grunnskólakennara á höfuðborgarsvæðinu sem sjá um kynfræðslu á unglingastigi. Þátttakendur voru valdir með markmiðsúrtaki, þ.e. þeir voru valdir vegna þess að þeir töldust hafa þekkingu og innsýn í viðfangsefnið og hæfðu þannig markmiði rannsóknarinnar. Einnig var rætt við verkefnastjóra jafnréttismála hjá skóla- og frístundasviði Reykjavíkurborgar, sem heldur utan um tilraunaverkefni um kynfræðslu sem fer af stað í tveimur grunnskólum í Reykjavík haustið 2018. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar benda til þess að viðmælendur telji kynfræðslu mjög mikilvæga á unglingastigi. Kennararnir nýta sér mikið alla þá umræðu sem fram fer í samfélaginu nú á dögum um kynhegðun og kynheilbrigði til þess að fræða nemendur sína. Viðmælendur segja að helstu áherslur í kynfræðslu séu samskipti, andlega hliðin, tilfinningar, jafnrétti, heilbrigt kynlíf og heilbrigð sambönd. Áherslan á líffræðihlutann hefur minnkað að þeirra mati þó að hann sé ennþá til staðar en félagslegi þátturinn hefur aukist að sama skapi. Kynheilbrigði unglinga er einn mikilvægasti þátturinn sem þarf að gefa gaum samkvæmt niðurstöðum rannsóknarinnar. Viðmælendur telja sig greina ýmis atriði í hegðun unglinga sem mikilvægt er að ræða í kynfræðslunni, meðal annars klámáhorf og það að nemendur senda á milli sín nektarmyndir af sjálfum sér og öðrum.The main objective of the research presented in this dissertation was to gain an insight into teachers’ experience, perspective and understanding of sexuality education as well as its importance, the methodology by which it is taught and teachers’ view on how it should be taught for teenagers. In other words, the purpose was to shed light on the importance of effective sexuality education for teenagers in present-day compulsory schools in the country. The thesis discusses the topics of sexuality education, sexual health of teenagers, teaching methodologies practiced in sex education, educational content and teachers, which teach the subject of sex education. Five interviews with teachers that take care of sexuality education for teenagers in lower-secondary schools in the Reykjavik area, were conducted. The interviewees were chosen from a purposive sample, i.e. they were chosen because they were considered to have particular insight and knowledge about the subject matter of the research, which could potentially benefit its objectives. An interview was also conducted with a project manager responsible for equality issues for the Department of Education and Youth in Reykjavik, regarding an intended experiment on sex education at two compulsory schools in Reykjavik next school year, i.e. 2018-2019. According to the main results of this study, all participants echoed the same view that sexuality education for teenagers at the elementary as well as the lower-secondary level is of the utmost importance. According to the participants of this study teachers take the ongoing discourse in our society today about sexual issues as well as sexual health into consideration when planning sexual education. The interviewees claimed that the main emphases in sexuality education were communication related to social media and the Internet, mental health, emotions, equality, healthy sex life as well as healthy relationships. The focus on the biological aspect appears to have diminished even though it is still considered relevant, but the sociological factor has increased a great deal. Sexual health of teenagers seems to be one of the most important issues needing to be addressed in schools, according to the results of this study. Simultaneously they argue that questionable behaviours among teenagers, such as watching porn and “sexting”, that is sending explicit photos to and from one another, are serious challenges that teachers have to deal with