Adolescents’ sexual health: Elucidating the paradoxical influence of Christianity in School Sexuality Education Programmes in King Cetshwayo District, South Africa (original) (raw)
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Pharos Journal of Theology , 2023
Despite the implementation of a school-based sexuality education programme meant to promote learners' sexual and reproductive health (SRH), the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and teenage pregnancy is increasing rapidly in South Africa. This phenomenon can be observed in rural schools such as those in King Cetshwayo district in the Kwazulu Natal Province. We argue that it is critical to investigate the contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of sexuality education in these schools, which ultimately impacts the learners' sexual health outcomes. The paper applies an information-motivation-behavioural skills model as its theoretical paradigm for this qualitative, phenomenological study. In 2020, nine focus group interviews were conducted to gather in-depth experiences and perspectives from a purposively sampled group of learners in the study setting. The analysis of the collected data was guided by the interpretative phenomenological analysis framework. The results indicated that the religious antecedents of learners and teachers and the activities of faith-based organisations in the study setting influence the acceptance or rejection of sexuality education messages. Based on the study findings, we argue that Christianity as a colonial religion has functioned as both a barrier and an enabler of effective school-based sexuality education. Therefore, we recommend that the paradoxical effects of religion on school-based sexuality education be addressed by optimising the enhancing effects and mitigating the inhibiting effects on sexuality education programmes in the research setting. We also propose that leaders of faith-based organisations be considered critical stakeholders in the implementation of a school-based sexuality education programme, hence the need for continuous engagement.
African Journal of Gender, Society and Development, 2023
Sexuality education seeks to provide school-going adolescents with knowledge and skills to help them make better decisions, boost their self-efficacy, and ultimately improve their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. However, due to prevailing contextual factors, school-based sexuality education is thought to have a limited impact on the SRH of learners living in rural areas compared to those living in urban and semiurban areas. This study explored the learners' lived experiences with sexuality education in rural South Africa in 2020. Focus group interviews were conducted with 84 learners who were purposively sampled from nine schools. An interpretative phenomenological analysis framework was used to analyse the data from the interviews. The findings revealed that sexuality education's impact on adolescents includes reduced teenage pregnancy, reduced sexually transmitted infections, and increased self-awareness, while others felt it encourages risky sexual activities. This study recommends interventions to enhance sexuality education programmes in the research setting.
African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning Journal, 2024
The effectiveness of sexuality education programmes depends on teachers' approaches to curriculum delivery. The effectiveness of sexuality education among school-going adolescents could be enhanced if teachers' pedagogical approaches are understood and supported by all stakeholders. This study determined the approaches used for delivering sexuality education curricula at the selected rural schools from learners' perspectives. Leveraging a phenomenological lens, this study explored rural learners' lived experiences of sexuality education programme in their schools located in King Cetshwayo district, South Africa. Focus group interviews were conducted in 2020 in nine rural high schools. Eighty-four learners were purposively sampled to participate in the study. Transcribed data from the focus group interviews was analysed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis framework and the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model. Findings revealed two approaches used by educators to deliver sexuality education in the research setting, namely, structured and unstructured learning approaches. The study additionally highlighted areas of the curriculum covered by educators in these rural-based schools. I recommend rigorous and continuous training of teachers on sexuality education curriculum contents and pedagogy to enhance the effectiveness of curriculum implementation in the research setting.
Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 2021
Introduction The school-based sexuality education programmes in South Africa aim to improve the sexual and reproductive health of school-going adolescents. However, the high rate of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among learners in some schools in rural areas of King Cetshwayo district suggests that the programmes in these schools might not be effective due to certain learner-centred factors. Method This qualitative study explored lived experiences of 84 learners from nine public schools in 2020 through focus group interviews. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results Learner-centred barriers to effective school-based sexuality education identified in this study were attitudes, age disparity, psychological status, peer pressure, socioeconomic status, the exploratory attitude of learners, media, lack of role models, previous experiences, socioeconomic status, and lack of parental love. These factors could reduce good sexual health. Learner-targeted interventions such as campaigns, using guest professionals, condom distribution, videos, on-site family planning, formal demonstrations, and on-site counselling could address these barriers. Conclusions Addressing these barriers and implementing the proposed interventions will enhance school-based sexuality education and consequently improve adolescents' sexual health. Policy Implications The findings could guide programming, implementation, and delivery of school-based sexuality education leading to improved adolescents' sexual and reproductive health.
Enhancing School-Based Sexuality Education in Rural Areas of South Africa: Educators' Perspectives
Journal of Educational and Social Research, 2022
Sexuality Education aims to reduce teenage pregnancies and other consequences of risky sexual practices such as sexually transmitted infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among young people. This descriptive-explorative study explored and described how teachers in the senior phase at Soutpansberg West Circuit, South Africa perceived Sexuality Education in their schools. Ten purposively recruited teachers in the research setting were individually interviewed in 2019. The collected data were thematically analysed. The research findings revealed the teachers' perceived benefits of Sexuality Education, the barriers to Sexuality Education and impact of Sexuality Education on senior level learners in the study setting. Furthermore, it emerged that teachers used different approaches such as lectures, questions and answers, class discussions, and targeted individuals to facilitate Sexuality Education lessons in their schools. This study recommends the provision of support to teachers through training, access to relevant curriculum resources, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of Sexuality Education programmes in the study setting.
Heliyon, 2022
Despite evidence-based proof that sexuality education enhances school-going adolescents' sexual and reproductive health, the high number of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, among young people in the rural areas of South Africa suggests that the school-based sexuality education programme in the rural areas might have less influence on learners due to various contextual factors in these settings. This phenomenological study used nine focus group interviews to explore the experiences of 84 school-going adolescents regarding sexuality education offered in their schools, located in the rural areas of the King Cetshwayo District, in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The participants were purposively sampled and the transcribed data from the interviews were thematically analysed. The study revealed that the sexuality information provided to learners did not improve their motivation or encourage behaviour to act on the information provided. Additionally, the results highlighted environmental factors in the research setting that influenced the effectiveness of the sexuality education programme. To enhance its effectiveness, a sexuality education enhancement model was developed using elements of the systems theory and modified information-motivation-behavioural skills model. The model identifies the input resources needed to address issues of information, motivation and skills as well as the influencing environmental factors.
Sexual knowledge and practice of adolescent learners in a rural South African school
African Health Sciences, 2020
Background: Premature sexual activity has become a norm in South African society, often resulting in teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Occurrence of premature sexual activity is related to insufficient education, gender inequal- ities, household poverty and place of residence. The Stepping Stones project uses a 10-session programme to educate learners about relationships, HIV-prevention and teenage pregnancy. The purpose was to measure and describe learners’ sexual knowl- edge and activities in a rural technical secondary school in North-west Province, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional survey. Questionnaires were distributed to learners in grade 8 to 12. Descriptive statistics was used in analysis. Results: Seventy-nine questionnaires were analysed. Despite a young sample, 26.6% were sexually active and 24.1% engaged in sexual activity. The mean age for first-time sexual intercourse was 15.2±2.3 years. The use of contraceptives was low (41.2%) and par...
Sexuality education forms part of the national school curricula of most sub-Saharan African countries, yet risk-related sexual behaviour among young people continues to fuel the HIV pandemic in this part of the world. One of the arguments put forward to explain why sexuality education seems to have had little impact on sexual risk-taking is that existing curricula have neglected to take into account the complexity of the social, cultural and gender norms that influence the behaviour of school-going young people in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past few years, the Department of Basic Education in South Africa has recognised the need to provide guidance to teachers on the content, pedagogical processes and messages that are relevant to their specific context. This paper critically reflects on findings from a literature-based study conducted to identify the cognitive and social factors influencing the behaviour of school-going young people in South Africa and the risk and protective factors that might be particular to their circumstances. The findings provide helpful guidelines about the development, content and implementation of sexuality education curricula more likely to be relevant in contexts of serious poverty and disadvantage. Although based on the South African literature, the findings may also offer useful lessons for curriculum designers in other developing countries.
African journal of reproductive health, 2019
Teenage pregnancy and the prevalence of HIV among school girls are very high in South Africa, despite the introduction of sexuality education in schools since 2002. A qualitative approach of inquiry was used to investigate challenges faced by schools offering sexuality education in Mahikeng, South Africa. Four school principals, seven teachers and 39 learners were interviewed. The curriculum on sexuality education indicates that sexual matters are introduced to learners only when they reach Grade 8, whereas pregnancy is already common among girls as early as Grade 3. Participants from all groups represented in the study revealed that Life Orientation was not taken seriously in schools compared to other subjects. Although learners are very much interested in the subject matter, there were no qualified teachers and the content of the curriculum is very shallow. In addition, schools paid very little attention to this subject since it is not considered for admission into tertiary instit...
Mapping Structural Influences on Sex and HIV Education in Church and Secular Schools in Zimbabwe
Evaluation & the Health Professions, 2012
We used state-of-the-art concept mapping approaches to examine structural institutional effects of church and secular schools on the types of sexual and HIV prevention education messages transmitted to learners. Participants were school teachers (n=26), school counselors (n=28) and pastors involved in student pastoral care (n=14) (males =27, females =41). They reported on perceived messages to influence sexual decisions of learners in their school setting. The self-report data were clustered into message types using concept mapping and contrasted for consistency of content and structure both between and within type of school. We also engaged in extended document study with member checks in the participant schools to determine convergence of the evidence on school type effects of the messages transmitted to students. Church schools prioritized faith informed sexual and HIV prevention messages, whereas both types of schools prioritized life skills education and a future focus. Secular schools prioritized sex and HIV messages in the context of community norms. Facts about HIV and AIDS were relatively underemphasized by church schools. The implicit knowledge values that differentiate types of schools influence learner access to information important for their sexual decisions. Keywords/phrases prevention; teenagers; evaluation; faith concepts; orphans HIV has resulted in millions of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, and schools are at the forefront of education policies to contain its spread (Africa Scholarship Development Enterprize: ASDE, 2011; UNICEF, 2009). But schools are epistemic or knowledge generating and validating environments (Jansen, 2009; Karmon, 2007), and their value systems likely influence the nature and quality of sexual and HIV prevention education they provide. In sub-Saharan Africa, church schools provide basic education alongside public or secular schools. (Zvobgo, 1994). Church schools established mostly by missionaries from Europe and the United States have a long history of pastoral care to host communities. The nature of the specific sexual and HIV prevention education message church and secular schools perceive to transmit to learners to influence their sexual decision-making is unknown although such knowledge would be important to in-school health policy implementation.