Early grade scripted lesson plans (SLPs) : Responding to the International Technical Guidance For Sexuality Education (ITGSE)

Abstract

This research study proposed a process that would serve as a model for developing Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Scripted Lesson Plans (SLPs) for integrating Sexuality Education into the curriculum that would be contextual, structured, and focused, on supporting classroom teaching to respond to policy health goals. The proposed process would be beneficial to South Africa and any other country within Sub-Saharan Africa (UNESCO, 2018; UNFPA, 2015), wanting to include Sexuality Education in the curriculum. CSE is described as a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning that includes a focus on the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social dimensions or aspects of sexuality (UNESCO, 2018). CSE is an instruction method that aims to give students the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values to make appropriate and healthy choices in their sexual lives (Kirby, 2011). The International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (UNESCO, 2018) provides guidance on key Sexuality Education concepts that are age-appropriate, scientific, and culturally relevant, which suggest what conceptual progression should be learnt and taught from ages 5 to 18. Curricula that are aligned to the ITGSE provide the opportunity for classroom teaching to address issues that impact on the sexual and reproductive health of learners as early as the Foundation Phase. In South Africa, research findings reported that young people continue to report high-risk sexual behaviour despite receiving knowledge about sexual health risks (Wood & Rolleri, 2014; Reddy, Sandfort & Rispel, 2009), which increases the need for CSE to be included within the curriculum as early as the foundation phase. Kirby (2011) reported on the gaps in Sexuality Education content knowledge in the foundation phase. Unless the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Life-Skills purposefully teaches and assesses the learning of CSE content in the foundation phase, young people will exit the system in later grades without the necessary CSE knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours to cope in their own social and school contexts (Francis, 2012; Mukoma, 2009). The researcher proposed that scripting of Sexuality Education content and teacher methodology and assessment, amongst others, would support the inclusion of Sexuality Education in CAPS.