Teachers and Students Attitudes Towards Teaching of Sex Education in Secondary Schools

Teachers and Students Attitudes Towards Teaching of Sex Education in Secondary Schools

CHAPTER ONE

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Specifically the study attempted to find out the followings:

If Secondary schools teach sex education in Enugu State.
Students’ attitude towards the teaching and learning of sex education in secondary
Teachers attitude towards the teaching and learning of sex education in secondary schools.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION

Much has been written about the concept of sex education and its importance to the society and beneficiaries. Sexual involvement between male and female is as old as history of mankind, it has been the only practice employed for the reproduction and perpetuation of the human species.

The sexual act itself is restricted in most cultures and religion groups to the post betrothal period and it is supposed to reinforce the relation existing between the partners and their families thus enhancing the formation of stable social bounds and affection within the society.

CONCEPT OF SEX EDUCATION

The term sex education has been subjected to a series of definitions and explanation, by many writers and individuals conveying individual opinion and biases about the subject matter. Adunola (2005) perceived sex education solely as education in the machining of sexual act. He also described sex education as sinister campaign to create an increasing and dangerous obsession with sex in the minds of the adolescents.

Egbuna (1999) argued that sex education is not simple physiology of the system, nor is it the process of telling the youth the facts of life and cautioning them about possible unpleasant out-come of premarital experimentation. It is not giving information about reproduction; describing the disease transmitted sexually and warning the embarrassment of illegitimate pregnancy and the shame of being discovered rather, sex education is the creation of satisfying interpersonal relationships rather than simply the exercise of sex and it would involve the whole population and the total life span, going far beyond genital sex expression, love and affection.

He explained further that sex education encompasses more than just the mere teaching of this subject in isolation. Sex education indeed rather should be a holistic learning intended towards improving the growth of the young. Thus sex education could be viewed in the same line with Njoku (2000) as an ecologic ethnical approach involving the biological, psychological, social and ethnical dimensions of sexual attitude standards, values and behaviors.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this chapter is to present a step by step description of the research design and procedure used in collection and analyzing the data for this study.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The Research design adopted in this study is the ex-post facto (after the fact) design. This design is used when a researcher intends to describe conditions that already exist, and attempts to determine reasons for the existing differences in behaviour or status of groups of individuals (Gay, 1992).

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

INTRODUCTION

In furtherance of the investigation of teachers and students attitudes towards teaching of sex education in secondary schools, the data collected were statistically analyzed in this chapter. The chapter presents the demographic characteristics of the respondents in one single table of frequencies and percentages. Other sections of the chapter relating to teaching sex education in secondary schools, parents belief in relation to sex education, the attitude of Secondary School Students about the contribution of sex education towards the enhancement of reproductive health knowledge and the associated perceived inclusion of sex education in the school curriculum are analyzed in mean and standard deviations along the research questions raised in the study.

The mean scores were based on the five point scale with the highest score for agreement as 3.5 and the highest score for disagreement as 3.4. Thus mean score of 3.5 and above are considered as agreement since 3.5 could be approximated to 4 which stand for agreement in the five point interval scale.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Introduction

It is important to reiterate that the objective of this study was to access teachers and students attitudes towards sex education in secondary schools using Enugu state as our case study.

In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in identifying teachers and students attitudes towards sex education in secondary schools.

Summary

This study was undertaken to Identify teachers and students attitudes towards sex education in secondary schools. The study opened with chapter one where the statement of the problem was clearly defined. The study objectives and research hypotheses were defined and formulated respectively. The study reviewed related and relevant literature. The chapter two gave the conceptual framework, empirical and theoretical studies. The third chapter described the methodology employed by the researcher in collecting both the primary and the secondary data. The research method employed here is the descriptive survey method. The study analyzed and presented the data collected in tables. While the fifth chapter gives the study summary and conclusion.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This study presented the attitude of teachers and students towards the teaching of sex education in some selected secondary schools within Enugu state. The analysis of the data collected in relation to the subject revealed that:

The students have very limited knowledge of sex education. Among the constraints encouraging this limited knowledge were religious restriction, cultural belief and parents’ attitudes towards issues pertaining to sexual matters.
significant difference was observed between the male and female students from the different classes in the selected schools in their opinion on the teaching of sex education in the selected schools. Though the students did not really have adequate knowledge of the subject, they were in favour of its inclusion into the secondary school curriculum in the state.
The age of the students did not have significant impact on their opinion about the teaching of sex education in the selected schools. It was observed that the male and female students did not really know the role sex education could play in the adolescent sexual issues and other health related problems as they relate to youths in the study area.
Significant difference was not observed between the male and the female students on this role that sex education could play. This limited knowledge of the students was attributed to the low awareness of sex education and the accompanied constraints of religious and parent’s cultural beliefs.

Based On the findings in this study, the researcher recommends as follows:

That sex education should be made compulsory from junior secondary school up to tertiary level of Nigerian educational systems
That the structure of the subject should be done in such a way that the religious and cultural beliefs of the people are protected.
That such a syllabus should not be devoid of the religious connotations that will endear it to both parents and students of the different religious groups.
That teachers should take into consideration the different religious and social-cultural views of students when discussing matters of adolescents’ sexuality.

REFRENCES

Abdullahi, H.A. (2003) Sexual Behaviour amongst Student in Higher Institution Unpublished M.sc Thesis Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria.
Action Health Incorporated (AHI), (2003) Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Trainers’ Resource Manual Advocate for Youths.
Achalu, B.E. (1993) Aids and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases: What Everybody should know. Simarch Nigeria Limited Lagos.
Achor, P.E. (2004) Adolescents Sex Problems and Healthy Adjustment in School and Life. Paper Presented at 16^th National Annual Conference of the Counseling Association of Nigeria, Kano 25^th – 29^th August.
Adepoju, A. (2001) Perspective on Population Education in Nigeria Lagos: Concepts Publication.
Adepoju, A. (2002) Understanding Human Sexuality: Senior Series 3 March 24^th.
Adepoju, A. (2003) National Conference of Adolescent Reproductive Health Abuja Nigeria January.
Adeyanju, F.B. (2001) Sexually Transmitted Disease Among University Athletes, Issues and Challenges: Journals of Counseling and Human Development Volume
Adeyemo, F.O. (2001) Review of Adolescents Attitude towards Sexual Practice. Journal of Counseling and Human Development Volume 2
Adeniyi, E.O. (2001) What College Students want to know about Sex in Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality Volume 22: 18-20.
Adinma, J. I. (1999) Adolescent Sexuality, Contraception and Reproductive Rights, Mediziki Journal February.

Related Topics:

Other Topics