External providers' sexuality education teaching and pedagogies for primary school students in Grade 1 to Grade 7

Abstract

Many primary school teachers avoid teaching sexuality education. In light of the earlier maturing of both boys and girls, and the educationally and personally significant effects of their experience of puberty, this is unfair to children. In response to this avoidance, however, some schools employ external providers of sexuality education, who visit the school to provide lessons on puberty and sexuality. Little literature has been found on the educational approaches or pedagogies that external providers use in these school-based sexuality education lessons. This study aims to construct an outline of a sample of three female sexuality education external providers' perceptions of their most successful and least successful pedagogies, common questions about puberty and sexuality asked by students, specific pedagogical problems that may arise, and the best overall way to assist the sexuality education of primary school students aged from five to 11 years in Grade 1 to Grade 7. The results show that these external providers aim to provide trusting, respectful and enjoyable pedagogies for all girls and boys in Grade 1 to Grade 7; however, the infrequency of their visits and lessons to schools such as once per year is inadequate to provide a comprehensive and quality sexuality education at all grades of primary school.