Some sociological contexts for consideration when designing a school puberty/sexuality curriculum

Abstract

Sociological contexts are key factors in education and schooling. Contemporary contexts of world-view, or Weltanschauungen, such as human rights, public health, demographics, biosocial factors including earlier puberty and a developmentalist approach, and technological connectivity, warrant significant professional consideration by education authorities for children and adolescents. Such sociological contexts encapsulate the impetus for change that is the overwhelming spirit of the age, or Zeitgeist, and so may generate significant positive requirements for school-based teaching and learning. These sociological contexts are particularly relevant in the design of any school puberty/sexuality curriculum. This paper examines a number of these significant sociological contexts, and provides a guide for their consideration in the architecture of global, contemporary puberty/sexuality curricula for primary and secondary school students.

KEYWORDS:

• Curriculum development
• learning contexts
• puberty
• human rights
• sexuality and reproductive health education
• schools