The Factors Affecting Sex Education Implementation In Schools: Multiple Case Studies According To An Ecological Approach

Author(s):

Ana Cristina Rocha(presenting / submitting)Cidália Duarte

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

08. Research on Health Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

08 SES 02, Challenges of Sexuality Education: Research Highlights from Portugal

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-02

15:15-16:45

Room:

B101 Sala de Aulas

Chair:

Monica Carlsson

Contribution

This study focuses on the implementation of sex education in Portuguese schools, between the 7^th and 9^th grades, according to a bio-ecological approach (Bronfrenbrenner, 2005) and the biographic and professional model of sex education (López, 2005). Although ecological models have been increasingly applied to health behaviors and health education (e.g., McLeroy, Bibeau, Steckler, & Glanz, 1988; Salazar et al., 2010), little research has looked at sex education from an ecological view (Eisenberg, Madsen, Oliphant, & Resnick, 2012). This model has been evinced as well-suited because it allows considering sex education from a broader and complex view and exploring cross-level influences (Einsenberg et al., 2012), avoiding a narrow understanding of relevant factors for its implementation. So sex education is one of the major proximal processes of psychosexual development, and, as proximal process, it is influenced by several systems, from the chrono and macrosystems to the school microsystem. Nonetheless, the factors affecting sex education implementation in schools are less explored (UNESCO, 2010), particularly the factors from multiple levels.

The main research question of the current study is: which factors affect school-based sex education implementation in Portugal? The study goals are: to know how schools really plan, implement and evaluate sex education; to explore the factors that contribute to successful implementation of effective school-based sex education; to explore barriers or challenges for sex education implementation; and to explore cross-level influences.

Method

We carry out multiple case studies (Yin, 2007) that focuses not only on the sex education project of the Portuguese schools, but also on the environment of application, ie., the school communities. Data are collected through interviews, questionnaires, documents and direct-observations in order to use multiple sources and a chain of evidences.

Expected Outcomes

We expect to enlighten some facilitator factors and challenges for the implementation of school-based sex education from several ecological systems. The findings can be a base for a reflexive and critical look for policies and practices, with important implications.

References

Bronfenbrenner, U. (2005). Making human beings human: bioecological perspectives on human development.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Eisenberg, M. E., Madsen, N., Oliphant, J. A., & Resnick, M. (2012). Policies, principals and parents: multilevel challenges and supports in teaching sexuality education. Sex Education, 12, 317-329. doi: 10.1080/14681811.2011.615614 López, F. (2005). La educación sexual. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva. McLeroy, K. R., Bibeau, D., Steckler, A., Glanz, A. (1988). An ecological perspective on health promotion programs. Health Education Behaviour, 15, 351-377. Salazar, L. F., Bradley, E. L. P., Younge, S. N., Daluga, N. A., Crosby, R. A., Lang, D. L., & DiClemente, R. J. (2010). Applying ecological perspectives to adolescent sexual health in the United States: rhetoric or reality? Health Education Research, 25, 552-562. doi: 10.1093/her/cyp065 UNESCO (2010). Levers of Success: Case studies of national sexuality education programmes. Paris: UNESCO. Yin, R. (2008). Case study research: design and methods. Sage: New York.

Author Information

Ana Cristina Rocha (presenting / submitting)

University of Porto

Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences

Porto

Cidália Duarte

University of Porto, Portugal

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