Beyond talking sex: an exploratory study of four health educators teaching sexuality education in New Zealand

Abstract

Educating students about sexuality involves teaching more than 'raw facts', A teacher's personal interpretation of the curriculum influences the type of knowledge gained by students. Therefore the information and language that educators use when discussing sexuality issues influence how students formulate an understanding of their own sexuality. This thesis explores sexuality education in four New Zealand high schools and illustrates how educators could relay their interpretation and knowledge of sexuality issues to adolescents using guidelines set out in the New Zealand health curriculum. The intention of the study is to discover how teachers choose to talk with their students about sexuality issues, such as puberty, sexual orientation and sexual activity. This study proposes that teachers and students are active agents in the ways that sexuality is constructed and/or discussed within their local community or wider societal framework.