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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
In 2017 we started a study on sexuality education (SE) involving two Public Higher Education
Institutions (HEI) with master's degree courses for kindergarten and primary education teachers in
Portugal. The objectives of the study are: i) to determine if the study plans of teacher training (both for
kindergarten and primary education teachers) of the different HEI include curricular units of SE;
ii) to verify whether the legal framework in Portugal includes issues directly related to SE; iii) to identify
specific contents of SE as part of curricular guidelines in pre-school and primary education; iv) to identify
what knowledge, attitudes and behaviours about sexuality exist among future kindergarten and primary
education teachers; and v) to develop and evaluate curricular proposals through the design of didactic
resources to support educational practices that promote an integrated approach to the different dimensions
of SE. In this free paper presentation, the results related to the first three objectives of the study will be
presented and discussed.
Although there is a legal framework in Portugal that integrates SE from the 1st to the 12th year of
schooling, data analysis revealed that only a limited number of HEIs explicitly integrate curricular units
directly associated with SE. In addition, the recent guidelines for curriculum support continue to give
little or no relevance to the subject. Since kindergarten and primary education teacher training is the
responsibility of HEIs, it is urgent to ask questions like these: 1. Are the teachers scientifically and
pedagogically prepared to teach SE in schools? 2. How do HEIs plan to meet SE training needs? Is the
political power conscious of the situation? Will there be a political will to think about SE strategies that
involve schools, families and the community?
Description
Keywords
Sexuality education pre-service teacher training legal framework