Japanese health and physical education teachers' experiences in sexuality education of secondary education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze and examine the experiences of sexuality education by health and physical education teachers and to obtain findings for improving and enriching the sexuality education programs. In our survey, semi-structured interviews were conducted between February and June 2020 targeting five health and physical education teachers working at junior high school and high school. The obtained data were analyzed by the qualitative descriptive method. As a result, we found that the specialized teachers selected as the subjects in this study “Help students understand the contents of sexuality education”, “Comprehensively cover topics on sexuality”, “Offer individual support to students who need extra assistance”, “Cooperate closely with colleagues and guardians”, and “Understand diversity in sexuality”. It was suggested that in order to improve and enrich the programs of future sexuality education, teachers are further required to (1) Devise teaching materials and methods used in classes from the perspective of encouraging students to think, (2) Comprehensively cover topics on sexuality related to modern issues while taking human rights into account, and (3) Cultivate diversity regarding sexuality. It was also suggested that teachers should continuously try to grasp the learning situation of each student while offering thoughtful support as they consult and share information with colleagues and guardians in the practice of sexuality education.