Evaluation of Trained Teachers' Implementation of a Sex Education Curriculum

Abstract

This study evaluated the long-term implementation of the Understanding Sexuality (US) curriculum by teachers trained to use the curriculum. Cross-sectional written surveys were used to determine the extent to which teachers from 30 school corporations implemented US and factors related to this implementation. Although a majority of the schools (90.0 percent) and the teachers (66.7 percent) still utilize the US curriculum, many of the teachers failed to maintain implementation fidelity by modifying the lessons, using parts of the lessons, and integrating textbooks and other curricula into the module. The most important barriers to the implementation of US were insufficient time for sex education and the assignment of US trained teachers to other instructional areas. ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed more favorable US perceptions and implementation practices among teachers who intended to attend a US reconvening workshop. Pearson product-moment correlation analyses revealed relationships between teachers' training and US curriculum perceptions and their implementation practices. The correlation analyses also identified relationships among the teachers' training and US curriculum perceptions and their utilization of student-centered teaching techniques.