Responsibilities,tensions and ways forward: parents’ perspectives on children’s sexuality education

Abstract

Children’s sexuality education continues to be plagued with tensions and controversies. In consequence, children’s access to sexuality education is severely compromised, especially in terms of the time dedicated to this topic, the content addressed, how it is taught and by whom. Based on a study of 342 Australian parents of primary school aged children we explore: (i) parents’ perceptions of the relevance and importance of sexuality education to their primary school aged children and the discourses that inform their perspectives; (ii) parents’ views on who should be responsible for the sexuality education of young children; (iii) whether there are certain aspects of sexuality education considered more appropriate for the family to address with children; and (iv) what the implications of these findings are for sexuality education policy and practice in Australian primary schooling. Despite the controversial nature of the topic, the majority of parents in this study believed sexuality education was relevant and important to primary school children and that it should be a collaborative approach between families and schools. However, some parents/carers acknowledged that while that they believed that some topics should only be addressed at home they also indicated that this often does not happen.     

What global perspective does our university foster in our students?

We used a modified circuit of culture enquiry to explore processes of production, representation and consumption of global perspective at our university, in the context of fostering this perspective as a graduate attribute. We identified four frame packages by which this perspective is understood and communicated. Global perspective is framed within our institution simultaneously as essentially cooperative and as competitive. We express concern about how such complexity is fostered in our students. We ask our colleagues and university teachers internationally to critically reflect upon the diversity of global perspectives extant within higher education and potentially to clarify their intentions as university teachers.     

Changes in Initial Teacher Training Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of School‐based Mentoring over Time

This article looks at mentoring in the Open University's Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course: a distance learning, competence‐based course of part‐time Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for primary and secondary students. It emphasises the importance of school‐based mentoring, and looks at changing student perceptions of mentoring over the duration of the course. Questionnaires and interviews are used to explore a range of issues about mentoring in ITT. The findings suggest that students become more discerning about, and more critical of, their mentors as the course proceeds. Some attempt is made to suggest how these attitudes can be improved. The mentors’ perceptions are compared with those of the students.     

Using Peer Coaching to Enhance Preschool Teachers' Development and Refinement of Classroom Activities

This study examined teachers' development and refinement of classroom activities. An ABA design was used to compare three experimental conditions. Four teachers planned and conducted their activities independently during an initial phase, as well as evaluated the impact of their efforts with a structured checklist. Conversely, these tasks were completed with a partner during a coaching phase, as teachers observed one another's classroom activities and collaborated in the process of appraising their activities and planning new teaching episodes. Finally, these exercises were again conducted independently during a final maintenance phase. A wide range of outcomes were examined, including each teacher's procedural changes or refinements, corresponding measures of children's participation, teachers' appraisals of their activities and satisfaction with the peer coaching procedure. Four primary results are reported. First, all four teachers made procedural refinements in this study, and three individuals' changes occurred during the peer coaching phase. Second, all teachers' activity alterations corresponded with changes in children's participation. Third, the four teachers varied in their activity appraisals as well as the number and quality of suggestions generated for procedural change. Finally, all four teachers reported that collaboration provided important benefits, but also expressed concerns with one or more aspects of the coaching process. These results are discussed with regard to their implications for facilitating teachers' roles in developing and sustaining effective classroom changes.     

Contents of Volume 31 2003

Volume Contents

Contents of Volume 31 2003     

Exclusion and Inclusion in New Zealand Early Childhood Education: Disability,discourses and contexts Exclusion et Inclusion dans l'E´ducation des Jeunes Enfants en Nouvelle Ze´lande: Handicap,discours et contextes Exclusio´n e Inclusio´n en la Discapacidad Educativa de los Menores de Nueva Zelanda,discursos y contextos

This paper addresses some issues relating to the inclusion and exclusion of young children with disabilities in regular early childhood settings. Statements from parents, early childhood educators and support staff are analysed and presented as representing a number of discourses that are the context within which disability and provisions for children with disabilities are created. Exclusionary discourses include a theme of disability as difference, whereby disabled children are considered not to be the responsibility of ordinary early childhood educators or services. Inclusionary discourses, on the other hand, have as a central theme the 'humanness' of disabled children, supporting a rights discourse and a view of disabled children as belonging in ordinary early childhood settings. Cet article s'adresse àdes sujets concernant l'inclusion et l'exclusion des jeunes enfants incapacités dans les milieux ordinaires de la première enfance. Les discours des parents, des éducateurs de la première enfance et du personnel de soutien sont analysés et présentés comme représentant de nombreux discours qui sont le contexte dans lequel l'incapacitéet les services spécialisés pour les enfants incapacités sont créés. Les discours de l'exclusion incluent un thème de l'incapacité comme la différence par laquelle les enfants incapacités ne sont pas considérés comme la responsabilitédes éducateurs ou des services ordinaires de la première enfance. En revanche les discours de l'inclusion ont l'humanitédes enfants incapacités comme un thème principal, soutenant un discours de droits et une opinion des enfants incapacités comme faisant partie des milieux ordinaires de la première enfance. Este art ¤ Iculo discute cuestiones relacionados con inclusión y exclusión de nin~os incapacitados en escenarios preescolar regular. Declaraciones de padres, educadores preescolares y personal soporte estn analizados y presentados como representando un nmero de discursos que estn en el contexto donde incapacidades, y provisiones para nin~os incapacitados, estn creados. Discursos de exclusio´n incluyen un tema de incapacidades como diferencia, donde los nin ¨ os incapacitados no estn considerados como la responsibildad de los educadores o los servicios regulares. Discursos de inclusio´n tienen como tema central 'lo humano' de los nin ¨ os incapacitados, apoyando un discurso de derechos y una vista de nin ¨ os incapacitados como s ¤ I, pertenecen a escenarios preescolar regular.     

The Whole Language‐Phonics Controversy: an historical perspective

There has been considerable recent controversy over the competing emphases to beginning reading known as Whole Language and phonics. In order to provide a different perspective on the debate, this paper examines the history of disputes about reading, particularly as they apply to at‐risk students. It commences with a brief discussion of the advantages and difficulties of our English alphabetic system, and the literacy problems associated with it. Identification of the major attempts to deal with the complexity of our writing system is followed by a history of the research into the most efficacious means of enhancing reading development. An examination of early research, such as The Great Debate, The USOE Study, Follow Through and Becoming a Nation of Readers, helps illuminate the current debate by indicating which issues are novel, and which are those from the past as yet unresolved. A thread throughout the paper involves the role of educational research in influencing practice in beginning reading instruction.     

Early Math Trajectories: Low‐Income Children's Mathematics Knowledge From Ages 4 to 11

Early mathematics knowledge is a strong predictor of later academic achievement, but children from low‐income families enter school with weak mathematics knowledge. An early math trajectories model is proposed and evaluated within a longitudinal study of 517 low‐income American children from ages 4 to 11. This model includes a broad range of math topics, as well as potential pathways from preschool to middle grades mathematics achievement. In preschool, nonsymbolic quantity, counting, and patterning knowledge predicted fifth‐grade mathematics achievement. By the end of first grade, symbolic mapping, calculation, and patterning knowledge were the important predictors. Furthermore, the first‐grade predictors mediated the relation between preschool math knowledge and fifth‐grade mathematics achievement. Findings support the early math trajectories model among low‐income children.