The Norwegian national framework plan for preschool and the Norwegian national curriculum describe comprehensive sexuality education as part of promoting children’s and young people’s life skills and health (Directorate of Education, 2017a, 2017b). Preschool teachers are supposed to ensure that children are aware of and learn about their bodies and development and their own and other people’s boundaries (Directorate of Education, 2017a). Teachers in compulsory and upper secondary schools are supposed to thematise gender, sexuality, emotions and relationships in the interdisciplinary topic “public health and life skills” (Directorate of Education, 2017b). The national guidelines are in line with the World Health Organization’s standard for sexuality education in Europe, which states that children and young people should learn about cognitive, emotional, social, relational and physical aspects of sexuality (European Expert Group on Sexuality Education, 2016, p. 428). It is also in line with the state strategy “Talk about it!” describing good sexual health as “a resource and protective factor that promotes quality of life and life-skills” (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2017, p. 7). The strategy indicates that knowledge about the body, emotions and relationships is the basis for a health-promoting lifestyle that should be taught from preschool age onwards (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2017, p. 14). Learning about positive sexuality is also central to preventing sexual abuse and can help strengthen children and young people in regulating their own emotional behaviour (Seiler-Ramadas et al., 2021, p. 490).

Despite the underpinning of positive sexual health in national guidelines, sexuality education in Norwegian schools has been characterised by a negative approach to sexuality (Røthing & Svendsen, 2009, p. 66). A recent study shows that sexuality education of pupils in upper secondary school (16–19 years old) focuses on topics like sexually transmitted infections and different contraception methods, while most of the pupils want education on topics such as emotions, queer sexuality and sexual debut (Sex og Society, 2022, p. 5). Young people have also described the sexuality education they have received as too academic and unengaging, and they have called for education and guidance about body, sexuality and boundaries in preschool, primary and secondary school (The Children’s Ombudsman, 2018, p. 22).

Student teachers also request comprehensive sexuality education as part of teacher training (Svendsen & Furunes, 2022, pp. 34–37). Good competence, adequate language and security in one’s professional role seem to be important for promoting discussions in the classroom that can challenge both students’ and teachers’ “emotional comfort zones” and open them up to perspective-taking and critical reflection (Johannessen & Røthing, 2022, p. 12). International studies indicate that preschool teachers who have acquired knowledge about children’s physical and sexual development during teacher training do thematise these topics in preschool (Brouskeli & Sapountzis, 2017, p. 62). The lack of focus on sexual health in preschool may be related to fear of reactions from parents and restricted training in thematising the body and sexuality during preschool teacher training (Balter et al., 2021, p. 290).

This knowledge front shows the need for an extended focus on comprehensive sexuality education in teacher training. To develop courses and improve teacher training, it is important to know how experienced teachers feel that their competence meets the needs they experience in practice and what kind of knowledge and skills they possibly lack. The present study contributes to this focus by exploring the following research question: How do preschool teachers and schoolteachers assess their own competence in comprehensive sexuality education?

Methods: A qualitative study was carried out with students in a continuing education programme called Identity, Body-Image and Sexual Health at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. A total of fifty-two students (23 students in autumn 2020 and 29 students in autumn 2021) were invited to participate and to answer questions anonymously about their own competence in comprehensive sexuality education. In addition, the students were asked to share a student assignment with descriptions of their own competence and competence needs. The students were broadly composed of employees in preschools, schools and educational psychological services. A total of twenty-eight students took part in the survey, which yielded a response rate of 54. Eighty-six percent of the students had 4–20 years of work experience, while the rest had less than four years of experience. Half of the informants worked in nurseries/preschools (53.5%), 7.2% worked in upper secondary schools, and 39.3% worked in compulsory schools. The informants were educated as either a preschool teacher or a schoolteacher. The data collection was carried out at the beginning of the semester to avoid participants being influenced by the content and approaches of the curriculum. Data were collected using an electronic online form with open-ended questions that allowed the participants to express subjective reflections and describe their own experiences (Miles et al., 2014, p. 11). The form consisted of introductory questions about their workplace and experiences, and six open-ended questions about their own competence acquired through teacher education, their competence needs in their current position, and experiences of collaboration It was important to ensure the students’ anonymity in the survey (Postholm, 2007, p. 235), as the researchers also worked as teachers in the continuing education programme. We chose to use an electronic form to ensure the students’ anonymity and their ability to express themselves more freely than in individual interviews or focus group interviews. A reflexive thematic analysis of the data was carried out based on an inductive approach (Clarke & Braun, 2017, p. 297). Written consent was obtained from the participants for use of a student assignment they prepared at the beginning of the semester. Emphasis was placed on providing thorough information that participation in the study was voluntary and that their participation (or nonparticipation) would have no consequences for their role as students.

Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that preschool teacher and schoolteachers’ education has provided limited competence in comprehensive sexuality education, and, in particular, inadequate in terms of promoting sexual health and diversity. Furthermore, findings indicate the need for up-to-date knowledge and professional training among teachers to make them confident in their professional roles. Children and young people are growing up in a different context than their teachers did, and teachers must deal with different issues than they themselves experienced growing up. Teachers in preschools and schools have regular contact with a variety of children, young people and families, and they need to feel confident in dealing with various issues that may arise in everyday preschool/school life. The study indicated a gap between what teacher training has offered and the intentions stated in the governing documents, showing a need for increased knowledge and training in how to thematise body-image, gender and sexuality. This training can be strengthened by prioritising these themes in teacher education and through courses and further education for staff in preschools and schools, with particular emphasis on training teachers to have an open attitude towards different perspectives. The inclusion of interdisciplinary activities and learning strategies that stimulate students and enable them to challenge their own attitudes and values related to the topics would be preferable. Sexuality education and guidance can also be strengthened through training in interdisciplinary collaboration with external collaborators, carried out, for instance, across professional/in-service courses and teacher-training curricula.

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