Research topic:

In democratic societies, public education is essential for preparing the next generation for active citizenship. In Sweden, sexual education plays a crucial role in this process by promoting critical thinking, inclusivity, and an understanding of fundamental human rights, ensuring that students are equipped to engage in a diverse and democratic society.

 Sweden has a long tradition of sexual education as an interdisciplinary and subject-integrated knowledge area. The content and overall framing of the knowledge area have, as in other countries, shifted over the years.  A shift from the understanding of sex education as a primary public health matter to a matter of social justice and rights for individuals and groups have taken place over the years. The Swedish government`s decision to modify the curriculum for this interdisciplinary and subject-integrated knowledge area was motivated by various factors, including the potential role of sex education in fostering respect for the bodily and personal integrity of others. Additionally, the need to address and challenge the portrayal of sex as depicted in pornography played a significant part in this decision. In the educational context, recent years have witnessed a notable focus on qualification outcomes, primarily characterized as the transmission of quantifiable knowledge. The revised curriculum for the comprehensive sexuality education addresses the existing social issues. The overall aim of this study is to critically explore what knowledge and fundamental values the students at the lower secondary school are offered to learn in relation to the comprehensive sexuality education as part of the school´s assignment to foster democratic citizens.  

Theoretical framework

This study departs from the curriculum theory as it was outlined by Ulf P. Lundgren (1979), which posits that the selection of curriculum content occurs at various hierarchical levels. It further posits that the selection, on the societal level, is addressing existing pressing challenges in society. The study furthermore takes its departure from John Dewey (1985) and his understanding of the social responsibility of teaching. 

Relevance to European Conference on Educational Research

The study´s significance to the European educational research is highlighted by its exploration of the underlying tensions between individuals and groups and its illustration of the extent to which students are encouraged to engage in discussions pertaining to diverse perspectives on these issues. It is also of relevance as it gives an insight in both what students find relevant pertaining to their lives. 

Research design The selection of curriculum content takes place at three different levels and, accordingly, the sample in this study incorporates materials from all those levels. On the societal and programmatic level text material from both past and present is included. The fieldwork is conducted across multiple sites. Data collection at the school level is accomplished through the utilization of observation and interviews. The analytical framework employed in this study is critical discourse.

Expected findings The preliminary findings of the study are anticipated to shed a light on the processes involved in legitimizing prevalent content discourses at various levels, in addition to providing an understanding of the actual learning opportunities afforded to the students. The study not only offers insights into the processes of production and recontextualization of the revised curriculum for the comprehensive sexuality education in Sweden, but also presents an in-depth analysis of the student interaction beyond the classroom, along with the corresponding classroom responses.

Dewey, J. (2009) Demokrati och utbildning. Göteborg; Daidalos AB Gee, J.P (2014). An introduction to Discourse analysis. Theory and method. New York: Routledge. Lundgren, U. P. (1979/1989): Att organisera omvärlden. En introduktion till läroplansteori. Lund: Liber. Skolverket. (2019). Redovisning av uppdrag om förslag till ändringar i läroplaner avseende kunskapsområdet sex och samlevnad. Wahlström, N. (2023). Curriculum, policy, teaching and knowledge orientations. Teachers and teaching, theory and practice. Vol. 29 (3), p. 259-275.