How does sexual health education vary in quality of its delivery from the perspective of teachers?

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Title: How does sexual health education vary in quality of its delivery from the perspective of teachers?
Authors: O'Sullivan, Lucia F. (AUTHOR), Byers, E. Sandra (AUTHOR), Burkholder, Casey (AUTHOR)
Source: Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. Sep2025, Vol. 34 Issue 2, p161-172. 12p.
Subjects: Cross-sectional method, High schools, Elementary schools, Focus groups, Statistical significance, Research funding, Sex education, Multivariate analysis, Descriptive statistics, Teachers, College teacher attitudes, Research methodology, Analysis of variance, Middle schools, Data analysis software, Sexual health
Geographic Terms: Canada
Abstract: Teachers are key to the quality of school-based sexual health education (SHE) that students receive. The authors sought to determine teachers' perceptions of the quality of the SHE they provide. In addition, they examined factors associated with these perceptions, topics about which little is known. Participants were 343 teachers aged 23 to 62 (M = 41.55 years; 80.5% women) teaching at the elementary (K–5, n = 123), middle school (Grades 6–8, n = 160), and high school (Grades 9–12, n = 60) levels. Teachers typically reported partial coverage of assigned outcomes, rated their teaching quality as being moderate in quality on average (i.e., neither high nor low in quality), and indicated that they seldom or only occasionally used a range of teaching methods. Elementary school teachers rated their SHE teaching quality as significantly poorer than did middle school and high school teachers. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that higher quality ratings of one's SHE teaching were associated with extensive in-service training and self-directed learning, greater experience teaching SHE, and more comfort and willingness to provide SHE. A second profile emerged of teachers who had more years teaching generally, more SHE teaching experience, more in-service training, and yet less willingness to provide SHE. This work underscores the need to study the teaching context more closely, as well as the willingness of teachers for self-directed learning in efforts to improve SHE delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: How does sexual health education vary in quality of its delivery from the perspective of teachers?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Canadian+Journal+of+Human+Sexuality%22">Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 34 Issue 2, p161-172. 12p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada%22">Canada</searchLink>
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  Data: Teachers are key to the quality of school-based sexual health education (SHE) that students receive. The authors sought to determine teachers' perceptions of the quality of the SHE they provide. In addition, they examined factors associated with these perceptions, topics about which little is known. Participants were 343 teachers aged 23 to 62 (M = 41.55 years; 80.5% women) teaching at the elementary (K–5, n = 123), middle school (Grades 6–8, n = 160), and high school (Grades 9–12, n = 60) levels. Teachers typically reported partial coverage of assigned outcomes, rated their teaching quality as being moderate in quality on average (i.e., neither high nor low in quality), and indicated that they seldom or only occasionally used a range of teaching methods. Elementary school teachers rated their SHE teaching quality as significantly poorer than did middle school and high school teachers. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that higher quality ratings of one's SHE teaching were associated with extensive in-service training and self-directed learning, greater experience teaching SHE, and more comfort and willingness to provide SHE. A second profile emerged of teachers who had more years teaching generally, more SHE teaching experience, more in-service training, and yet less willingness to provide SHE. This work underscores the need to study the teaching context more closely, as well as the willingness of teachers for self-directed learning in efforts to improve SHE delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3138/cjhs-2025-0003
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 161
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Cross-sectional method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Focus groups
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistical significance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multivariate analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College teacher attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Analysis of variance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Canada
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: How does sexual health education vary in quality of its delivery from the perspective of teachers?
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          Name:
            NameFull: O'Sullivan, Lucia F.
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          Name:
            NameFull: Byers, E. Sandra
      – PersonEntity:
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            NameFull: Burkholder, Casey
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Text: Sep2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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              Value: 34
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            – TitleFull: Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality
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