Health Educators Perceptions of Comprehensive Sex Education

Abstract

Abstract This study looked at health educators\u27 perceptions of comprehensive sex education (CSE) through the lens of nine middle school and high school health educators in Massachusetts. Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade (Totenberg & McCammon, 2022), sex education has been highly contested, specifically in more conservative states like Florida (Branigin, 2022). The purpose of this study is to find health educators\u27 perceptions of CSE. This qualitative study included nine interviews of teachers across four Massachusetts public school districts using an 11 question interview guides. Data analysis included three rounds of deductive coding on all nine interviews completed. The study finds that overall, educators fell on a spectrum with their definitions and understandings of CSE, some had a more narrow and simple view of CSE while others had a broader and in-depth view of CSE. Overall teachers perceive CSE to have a positive impact on their students. Teachers who perceive a positive impact in addition to having a strong understanding of CSE could see a sustained impact of the curriculum in their students. Finally, teachers who had a perceived positive impact of CSE could critically think about curriculum, what is included and what could be improved. This research creates implications for future studies done on the relationship between teachers and the impact of their teaching of comprehensive sex-education. A future study could look to further understand the overall United States perceived impact of CSE through interviews of health educators from around the country. Key Words: Comprehensive Sex Education, Perception, Educators, Impact, Roe v. Wad