“I Wish I Had Known the Truth Sooner”: Middle School Teacher Candidates’ Sexuality Education Experiences

Abstract

While many general education classroom teachers encounter issues of sexuality in the middle school classroom, few teacher candidates feel prepared to address them. One source of information for teacher candidates is the role modeling provided by their own teachers when they were elementary and secondary students. In this study, 107 teacher candidates enrolled in a middle level preparation course completed five stem sentences describing their experience of being educated about sexuality when they were younger. The results revealed that 69% of the teacher candidates described poor role modeling. Most commonly, these teacher candidates detailed wanting "more" from their teachers-more depth and breadth, more honesty, and more commitment to providing sexuality information. They indicated that they would have liked to have teachers who were more comfortable with the subject matter and who covered topics such as love and relationships. Without preparation to address these topics, teacher candidates may have the impression that sexuality education is intimidating and uncomfortable and can be handled by a book, video, or outside consultant. Because of the likelihood that non-health teachers will be required to address sexuality, teacher preparation programs need to provide opportunities for teacher candidates to develop confidence and competence relative to sexuality education.

“Very Very Risky”: Sexuality Education Teachers' Definition of Sexuality and Teaching and Learning Responsibilities

“…What little data exist focuses primarily on sexuality education teachers' ideas about the youth they work with and preservice teachers understanding of sexuality and education (Klein & Breck, 2010;Rodriguez, Young, Renfro, Asencio, & Haffner, 1996;Summerfield, 2001).…”

“…Data show that teachers feel unprepared to provide sexuality education and often report little to no formal training on the topic (Cohen, Byers, Sears, & Weaver, 2004;Klein & Breck, 2010;Walters & Hayes, 2007). Although teacher preparation in sexuality education varies from state to state, in a study undertaken by Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (Rodriguez et al, 1996), researchers found that none of the 251 teacher education programs sampled provided formal classes or training in sexuality education to preservice teachers.…”

Primary school puberty/sexuality education: student-teachers' past learning, present professional education, and intention to teach these subjects

“…childhood (see also Klein and Breck 2010). During their four-year BEd (Primary) degree at Time 2, only two student-teachers, both male, reported being exposed to more contemporary and interactive teaching approaches, such as discussion, discovery, or roleplay, with the other four student-teachers learning almost nothing that would change their teaching practices or intentions for this course area from traditional pedagogies such as lecture-recitation, modelling and demonstration.…”

“…Another [M3] said, 'We are supposed to be teaching students to become life-long learners so we have to prepare them, but I wouldn't feel comfortable on my own to teach this'. Despite these insights of metacognitive knowledge, the educational trajectories of these student-teachers, at least regarding puberty/sexuality education, are those of replicating the educational status quo (see also Goldman 2010; Klein and Breck 2010;UNESCO 2009).…”

“…The reticence of many primary school teachers highlights the need for closer examination of student-teachers' responses to the teaching of puberty/sexuality education (see Carman et al 2011;Eisenberg et al 2010;Klein and Breck 2010;Sinkinson 2009;Vavrus 2009). Could it be that contemporary student-teachers' experiences of puberty/sexuality education, when they were in primary school, have influenced their responses to teaching it?…”