Browsing by Author "Rudolph, Donovan Oscar"
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- ItemExploring sexuality education in government high schools(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universit, 2020-03) Rudolph, Donovan Oscar; Conradie, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Educational Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Talking about sex oriented topics, including sexuality is still, to this day regarded as taboo within some cultures and groups and could therefore be uncomfortable for certain learners and teachers when confronted with the sexuality education curriculum. The lesson may therefore often not be presented free from inherent judgment and prejudices and as such healthy discussions around the topic cannot take place. The research goals and objectives of this study attempted to evaluate and shed some light on Life Orientation teachers’ own beliefs, experience and attitudes concerning the topic of sexuality education, based on their own cultural upbringing. This provided an understanding on how cultural practices could have had a significant influence on the presentation of the topic. The research question therefore was: How does the cultural and value system of the Life Orientation teacher influence the presentation of sex oriented topics? This study has adopted a qualitative approach, rooted within an interpretive paradigm. Data was gathered and analysed from semi structured interviews, observations and field notes. The participants were Grade 10 to 12 Life Orientation teachers in the areas of Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha. The findings revealed and justified previous research findings stating that embedded cultural and value systems do have an influence on the practice of teaching. Although the participants in this study acknowledged that they moved away from a conservative mind set, their cultural upbringing still influenced their approach to teaching sex oriented topics. Openly displayed discomfort while teaching, shying away from answering certain questions and struggling with verbalising some concepts were some of the indicators of teachers’ uncertainty towards teaching sex and sexuality oriented topics. This study also makes recommendations that would attempt to improve the personal development of teachers. In the bigger scheme it would be regarded as a positive step towards the optimal education of learners free from prejudice or judgment.