Enhancing School-Based Sexuality Education in Rural Areas of South Africa: Educators’ Perspectives

Abstract

Sexuality Education aims to reduce teenage pregnancies and other consequences of risky sexual practices such as sexually transmitted infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among young people. This descriptive-explorative study explored and described how teachers in the senior phase at Soutpansberg West Circuit, South Africa perceived Sexuality Education in their schools. Ten purposively recruited teachers in the research setting were individually interviewed in 2019. The collected data were thematically analysed. The research findings revealed the teachers’ perceived benefits of Sexuality Education, the barriers to Sexuality Education and impact of Sexuality Education on senior level learners in the study setting. Furthermore, it emerged that teachers used different approaches such as lectures, questions and answers, class discussions, and targeted individuals to facilitate Sexuality Education lessons in their schools. This study recommends the provision of support to teachers through training, access to relevant curriculum resources, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of Sexuality Education programmes in the study setting. 
 
 Received: 29 November 2021 / Accepted: 29 June 2022 / Published: 5 July 2022

Cyclical Longitudinal Ethnography as an Innovative Design for Addressing Sexuality Education in South African Rural Farm Schools

“…Other researchers utilise systemic reviews (Fonner et al, 2014; Koch & Wehmeyer, 2021). However, some qualitative studies of Sexuality Education use descriptive phenomenology and interpretative phenomenological analysis (Mavhandu et al, 2022; Mavhandu-Mudzusi & Mhlonho, 2021). Reports from those qualitative studies indicated that conducting studies on Sexuality Education is challenging because of some informants’ potential reluctance to respond to sex-related questions.…”