A Statewide Assessment of Sexuality Education in Florida

1
A Statewide Assessment of Sexuality Education in
Floridas Public Schools

• Brian M. Dodge, Ph.D.
• RCS 6740 / PHC 6700 Research Methods Final
  Presentation
• April 11, 2006

2
Rationale

• The school is an important location for the
  dissemination of important sexual health
  information and teachers have an essential role
  to play in sexuality education. (SIECUS, 2006)
• Florida, like all states, has specific directives
  that influence a schools sexuality education
  curricula.
• Little is known about the factors that facilitate
  or challenge the ability of schools and teachers
  to develop, implement, and evaluate their
  sexuality education initiatives.

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Goals

• The major goals of this proposed study are to
• assess the characteristics of Florida public
  schools sexuality-related curricula, and
• identify the factors that facilitate and
  challenge teachers ability to provide sexuality
  education.
• To achieve these goals, we will conduct a
  statewide survey, guided by community based
  participatory research (CBPR), with Florida
  public school personnel who are responsible for
  providing sexuality education.

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Tentative Study Team

• I anticipate funding will be provided by
• I will be the Principal Investigator
• I would like to find two Co-Investigators with
  experience in sexuality research and CBPR
• I would like to enlist 20 individuals for two
  Community Advisory Committees (North and South
  Florida)
• I would also like to enlist 5 scientific advisors
  and a statistician
• I will hire four research assistants

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Research Design Survey Development

• Community-based participatory research (CBPR) for
  community advisory boards
• Advantage input from community
• Disadvantage may lack scientific review
• 2. Scientific review
• Advantage can add scientific rigor
• Disadvantage may override community input

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Research Design Survey Implementation

• Statewide survey
• I will conduct a survey of Florida teachers
  collecting primarily quantitative data (some
  qualitative data will also be collected)
• Advantages can reach a large number of
  participants
• Disadvantages low response rates

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Research Questions, Hypotheses, Variables

• Insert yours here! ?

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Sampling Procedures

• I will acquire a dataset from the Florida
  Department of Education, selecting all teachers
  with the primary teaching codes of health,
  physical education, science, and family/consumer
  sciences (N approximately 8000).
• From this data, I will select a random stratified
  sub-sample of approximately 2000 teachers.
• Teachers will receive a letter of intent
  (IRB-approved Informed Consent Form) as well as
  the survey. I anticipate that at least 30 of the
  participants will respond to the survey.

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Sample Survey Question

• 14. Please indicate your agreement with the
  following statements
• In my classroom, I teach the social,
  psychological, and health gains to be realized by
  abstaining from sexual activity. ? Yes ? No
• In my classroom, I teach abstinence from sexual
  activity outside marriage as the expected
  standard for all school age children. ? Yes ?
  No
• In my classroom, I teach that abstinence from
  sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid
  out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted
  diseases, and other associated health problems.
  ? Yes ? No
• In my classroom, I teach that a mutually faithful
  monogamous relationship in context of marriage is
  the expected standard of human sexual activity.
  ? Yes ? No
• In my classroom, I teach that sexual activity
  outside of the context of marriage is likely to
  have harmful psychological and physical effects.
  ? Yes ? No
• In my classroom, I teach that bearing children
  out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful
  consequences for the child, the child's parents,
  and society. ? Yes ? No
• In my classroom, I teach young people how to
  reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug
  use increases vulnerability to sexual advances.
  ? Yes ? No
• In my classroom, I teach the importance of
  attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in
  sexual activity. ? Yes ? No
• Explanation

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Sample Survey Question

• 31. Were materials (curriculum, books, pamphlets,
  etc.) in your sex education classes during the
  2005-2006 school year available in any language
  other than English? (Please check all that
  apply.)
•  
• Yes, materials were also available in Spanish
• Yes, materials were also available in Haitian
  Kriyol
• Yes, materials were also available in another
  language, please specify________________________
• No, materials were only available in English
• Explanation

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Sample Survey Question

• 33. Please indicate the extent of your agreement
  with the following statements. INSERT 5 point
  Likert scale (5strongly agree, 4agree, 3mixed
  feelings, 2disagree, 1strongly disagree) ON
  EACH QUESTION TACS Scale
•  
• A.     I find it difficult to speak about sex.
• I would be embarrassed to teach about sexuality
  to my students.
• Sexuality should not be discussed in the
  classroom.
• I would not be comfortable teaching a class
  concerning sexuality.
• Students should be discouraged from asking
  sexuality-related questions.
• Teachers who have strong religious beliefs about
  sexuality should teach such beliefs to their
  students.
• Talking about sexuality encourages people to
  become sexual.
• Young people should learn about sexuality from
  their own experiences.
• Teachers need to discuss the role of the family
  in personal growth and development.
• Teachers need to help adolescents understand
  their responsibilities to self, family, and
  friends.
• Adolescents should be taught about sexuality.
• Sexual play among adolescents is natural and
  harmless.
• Sexuality education should not be taught in the
  school.
• Experts such as doctors, nurses, psychologists
  rather than classroom teachers should be called
  upon to teach sexuality in the school.
• I have strong feelings against teaching sexuality
  in the schools.
• Persons involved in school sexuality education
  lack adequate training.
• Before a person should be allowed to teach
  sexuality education, they should meet certain
  criteria (i.e. certification).

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Data Analysis Plan

• I plan to compare and contrast different
  teachers responses from different areas of the
  state using a wide variety of statistical
  techniques including correlations, ANOVAs, etc.
  depending on the different types of variables
  from the different questions (explanation )
• Qualitative data from the survey will also be
  quantified
• Qualitative data from the community advisory
  board meetings will inform the study throughout
  the course of the project

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Thank You!

• Any questions?