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Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education
Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613775459254272 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Eagle, Caitlin |
| author2 | Jacobs, Carmelita |
| author_browse | Eagle, Caitlin Jacobs, Carmelita |
| author_facet | Jacobs, Carmelita Eagle, Caitlin |
| author_sort | Eagle, Caitlin |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132196 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:30.564Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132196 Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education Eagle, Caitlin Jacobs, Carmelita Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. Sex instruction -- Study and teaching (Primary) Life skills -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. Primary school teachers -- Attitudes Sex instruction for children Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Eagle, C. 2025. Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/1c892b98-6123-4760-9720-beeb84519d72 Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) forms a vital part of the South African curriculum, equipping our youth with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their sexuality. If implemented successfully, CSE can contribute to a decrease in gender inequality, gender-based violence, and unwanted pregnancies. Much of the research that explores CSE has focused on high school educators’ experiences in teaching CSE. However, CSE commences in Grade R, making primary school educators’ experiences equally valuable. This study therefore explored primary school educators’ experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in one Western Cape Education Department (WCED) school in South Africa. The study was situated within a social constructivist paradigm and was conducted through a qualitative lens. A case study design was used, as this design provides a detailed, contextualised, and holistic understanding of a specific phenomenon within its real-life setting (Yin, 2014). Given the complexity of educators' experiences in teaching CSE, a case study design enabled the researcher to explore the intricacies, dynamics, and contextual factors influencing these experiences. The data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, one focus group, and visual elicitation methods – specifically the Pictor technique and photo elicitation method. These methods facilitated valuable insights into the participants’ lived realities of delivering CSE content in the classroom setting. Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model was used as the guiding theoretical framework from which to explore and understand how intricate environmental contexts or systems shape educators’ experiences. Through Bronfenbrenner’s lens, this study navigated the complex interplay between personal beliefs and values, societal norms, and institutional policies. The findings revealed the multifaceted nature of CSE delivery, such as aligning CSE content to learners’ emotional maturity, thus demonstrating the need for flexible curriculum frameworks. This study offers insights into how South African educators manage discomfort by selectively engaging with CSE content based on their classroom context. It transcends the existing literature by exploring how educators’ personal values conflict with systemic pressures, highlighting a need for professional development that also focuses on managing intrapersonal conflicts. Lastly, recommendations are made for future research, such as delving deeper into the experiences of primary school educators by approaching a more diverse sample and examining the long-term changes in educators’ experiences. Masters 2025-05-29T10:19:23Z 2025-05-29T10:19:23Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132196 Stellenbosch University 129 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Sex instruction -- Study and teaching (Primary) Life skills -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. Primary school teachers -- Attitudes Sex instruction for children Eagle, Caitlin Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education |
| title | Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education |
| title_full | Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education |
| title_fullStr | Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education |
| title_short | Primary school educators' experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education |
| title_sort | primary school educators experiences of teaching comprehensive sexuality education |
| topic | Sex instruction -- Study and teaching (Primary) Life skills -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. Primary school teachers -- Attitudes Sex instruction for children |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132196 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT eaglecaitlin primaryschooleducatorsexperiencesofteachingcomprehensivesexualityeducation |