Frameworks of sexual education in schools: Conceptions and practices of public middle school teachers

Abstract

The goal of this study was to identify and characterize sex education practices developed by teachers towards teenagers in the public schools, as well as to investigate the conceptions held by these teachers involved about subjetc. It is a descriptive and exploratory study that uses a qualitative approach, in which ten teachers of the elementary school, have participated. In regard of the results, there were identified two categories of analysis entitled biological-centered and preventive model and biopsychosocial model. Six of the ten interviewed teachers have demonstrated to use the biological-centered and preventive and four teachers have demonstrated to use the biopsychosocial model. Thus, it is concluded that it still persists the necessity of big advances, especially regarding individual autonomy. The sexual education practices that favor the individuals emancipation and autonomy, demands the professionals acknowledgement that sexual practices consist in a right, because it is their responsibility to provide information and promote reflections between teenagers so they make, in a more clarified and conscious way, their own decisions.