We recommend urgent expansion of a vaccination program for adolescents and school-age children against SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Western Pacific region. Since July 2021, SARS-CoV-2 infections in children have increased rapidly in this region. As infection rates rise due to the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, current preventive strategies such as mask wearing and social distancing have controlled its spread effectively. Prolonged school closure is currently being promoted to suppress virus spread among children. However, the negative impact of prolonged school closure is significant. Although vaccination of children under 12 is still controversial, preparations must be made now for their vaccination.
An online survey was conducted for an international collaborative study from a remote area during the COVID-19 pandemic because the researchers needed to consider non-face-to-face methods of conducting an international collaborative study in situations in which social distance must be maintained. In an international collaborative study between Indonesia and Japan, we were able to conduct online qualitative data collection in Lombok, Indonesia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of qualitative data collection, data analysis, and ethical considerations for participants of an online qualitative data collection in an international collaborative study. The results were divided into three categories to summarize the lessons learned: 1) field coordination of an online interview guide and protocol, 2) ethical considerations regarding gender and privacy, and 3) methodology focusing on the online qualitative data collection. The lessons learned revealed the advantages and disadvantages of online qualitative data collection to handle multiple challenges. The online qualitative data collection conducted for an international collaborative study during the COVID-19 pandemic overcame several challenges through protocol development.
Background As a component of health promoting school, a school curriculum for health education was considered a fundamental. This survey aimed to identify the components of health-related topics and in which subjects were they taught. Methods Four topics were chosen: (i) hygiene, (ii) mental health, (iii) nutrition-oral Health, and (iv) environmental education related to global warming in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Before gathering the curricula from partner countries, school health specialists were gathered to discuss the appropriate components of a curriculum that required evaluation. The survey sheet was distributed to and answered by our partner in each country. Results About hygiene, individual practices or items that improve health-related were widely covered. However, items that imparted health-related education from an environmental perspective were not widely covered. About mental health, two types of country groups were identified. The first group included countries that taught mental health topics mainly as part of morals or religion; the second group included countries that imparted mental health topics mainly as part of health. The first group focused mainly on communication skills or coping methods. The second group focused not only on communication and coping skill but also on basic knowledge of mental health. About nutrition-oral education, three types of country groups were identified. One group imparted nutrition-oral education mainly in terms of health or nutrition. Another group imparted this topic mainly in terms of morals, home economics, and social science. The third group was the intermediate group. About ESD, a solid structure for this topic was not identified in any country. Many items were taught as part of science, while some were taught as part of social studies. Climate change was the most commonly taught item across all countries. The items related to environment were relatively limited compared to those related to natural disasters. Conclusions Overall, two different approaches were identified: the cultural-based approach, which promotes healthy behaviors as moral codes or community-friendly behaviors and the science-based approach, which promotes children’s health through scientific perspectives. Policymakers should initially consider the findings of this study while making decisions on which approach should be taken.
Background Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), which aims to help young people make responsible choices and acquire scientific knowledge and skills, has been promoted by UNESCO. Teachers experience conflicts in implementing CSE when teaching sexual topics in the local context, especially as the delivery of sexual knowledge and contraceptive methods is often prohibited by religious and traditional cultural norms. It was reported that there were multiple challenges in the implementation of sex education due to the religious and cultural background of societies and communities in Islamic countries. This study aimed to clarify the process of overcoming the conflicts, explore teachers’ recognition and perception related to the implementation of CSE, and to suggest recommendations for promoting CSE in Islamic areas. Methods This qualitative study combined the methods of focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) to explore the conflict among teachers. Ten ordinary public senior high schools in Mataram City, Indonesia, agreed to participate, and in total, 59 participants were involved in this study. FGDs were conducted with teachers (n = 49), and IDIs were focused on school principals (n = 10) in each school. The collected interview data were analyzed using a deductive thematic analysis and the findings triangulated for both the FGDs and IDIs. Results Overall, the teachers experienced conflicts in relation to religion, cultural background, and gender inequality in implementing CSE. The present study revealed the mutual recognition among teachers and acceptance of diverse backgrounds in the implementation of CSE at ordinary public senior high schools in Mataram City. Despite teachers reporting multiple conflicts, they made efforts to overcome these conflicts through mutual recognition and provided comprehensive guidance. The present findings indicated that teachers adapted CSE to follow multiple religions and cultural backgrounds. Conclusions The teachers accepted diverse backgrounds and provided CSE by collaborating with related educational subjects and external institutions to overcome conflicts. To provide more specialized education, it would be necessary to advocate a formal policy that might be accepted by diverse societies. Further research is necessary to apply the findings and recommendations for CSE implementation globally in the contexts of different countries.
Introduction Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) enables children and young people to learn about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social characteristics of sexuality. Teachers experience conflicts in teaching CSE due to different cultural and religious backgrounds. This qualitative systematic review aimed to describe the conflicts experienced by teachers in the implementation of CSE in schools. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify the causes of conflict among teachers in implementing CSE. Methods This article focused on teachers’ conflicts in implementing CSE from 2010 to 2022. Online bibliographic databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, and ERIC, were used to search for relevant articles. The following search term was used: Teacher, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and Conflict. Results A total of 11 studies were included in the review. All 11 studies were conducted in countries with a predominantly Christian population. The majority of the studies were conducted in Africa. The study respondents included teachers, school principals, and school coordinators. The studies identified that CSE implementation is related to multiple conflicts, depending on the context of the country. Five themes on the causes of conflict emerged from the thematic meta-synthesis: (1) Hesitancy in talking about sex education among teachers due to the cultural and religious context; (2) non-integration of traditional sex education into comprehensive sexuality education, (3) fostering effective facilitation of CSE among teachers, (4) determining the appropriate age to start sex education, and (5) roles of stakeholders outside the school. Conclusions This qualitative systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis highlighted several conflicts among teachers in CSE implementation. Despite the teachers having a perception that sex education should be provided, traditional sex education has not yet transformed to CSE. The study findings also emphasize the need to identify the teacher’s role in CSE implementation. The thematic meta-synthesis also strongly reflected the context of Christianity in Europe and Africa; thus, further research on the religious context in other regions is needed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.