Health education snapshot 6

• Inquiry
• Focusing inquiry
• Teacher inquiry
• Achievement objectives
• Assessment links

Inquiry

A junior sexuality programme is providing students with a basic understanding of puberty, STI, and pregnancy prevention. Its emphasis is on promoting positive relationships and acceptance of diversity. Teachers are planning to extend the health education programme into the senior school in a way that will contribute meaningfully to the students’ learning and qualification pathways.

Focusing inquiry

Their aim is to design a progressive, seamless sexuality education programme that progresses from level 6 to level 7. 

The school has recently been through a community consultation about health education. Support for the health education programme, including sexuality aspects, is strong, but there is some uncertainty as to how the senior programme will be designed, without just redoing the junior activities in more depth. The department is well resourced and the specialist teacher is actively involved in their local health education cluster meetings.  

Teachers have previous experience at a junior level and are aware of the prior knowledge and learning experiences students will be bringing with them. Some teachers are uncertain about how to deal with questions about sexuality given the nature of the issues that could potentially arise from the students now that they are older. High stakes assessment also concerns teachers. 

Teacher inquiry

Questions for the teacher to consider for sexuality unit planning at years 11 and 12: 

• What do I know about the sexuality education in The New Zealand Curriculum? What understanding have the students already developed? What are they yet to learn, and what will I need to build into the teaching and learning programme?
  • How does the concept of hauora shape the understanding of sexuality in the NZC? How does the concept of sexuality incorporate the four dimensions?
  • How are ‘sexuality’ and ‘gender’ similar but quite different concepts?
  • How does the socio-ecological perspective shape the NZC understanding of sexuality and gender? In other words, how do personal, interpersonal and societal considerations each contribute to what we understand influences and impacts on well-being in ways that relate to sexuality and gender?
  • How does the idea of health promotion shape the understanding of the strategies for achieving positive sexuality? For example, the knowledge and skills of managing one's own sexuality and relationships with others, and community actions that promote positive sexuality for all.
  • How are attitudes and values integral to the promotion positive sexuality, for example, respect for self, others and society? What actions are required for promoting inclusiveness and achieving social justice for all people regardless of sexual and gender identity?

Teacher needs analysis

Further questions for the teacher to consider:  

What I know, what I don’t know, what I need to learn, and how am I going to find out – consult with cluster and other departmental members. Teachers need to be aware of their own values and beliefs around sexuality in order to create a safe, supportive learning environment. Use the Relationships and sexuality education guidelines on TKI for reference. 

How will I cater to the diversity of students in my class and deal with issues that may be culturally sensitive for some students? (See snapshot 1.)

What teaching resources are there to support the development of the units of learning?

• Teaching resources, for example, the range of family planning resources, Social and Ethical Issues in Sexuality Education, Inclusive Sexuality, Rainbow Youth.
• Relationships and sexuality education: A guide for teachers, leaders and boards of trustees.
• The strands A, C and D AO’s each contribute aspects to sexuality and gender education, some of which are indicated below. 
• Achievement standards, moderator’s reports, and TKI tasks and how these relate to the assessment and can assist in teacher’s knowledge.
• Schools unit planning template.
• Access to clusters in the area or teaching association.
• Access to resources that find out about our students needs, for example, data on SMS, Post-box activity on sexuality knowledge and issues, graffiti sheets to brainstorm student interest (see previous list). [(See  snapshot 1.)

Develop learning intentions based on student learning needs (see  snapshot 1) and connect these with the achievement objectives.

Achievement objectives that couild be used as a basis to develop learning intentions

• 6A4 Demonstrate an understanding of factors that contribute to personal identity and celebrate individuality and affirm diversity. 

An example of a year 11 learning intention:

• To demonstrate an understanding of factors that contribute to affirming diversity in a sexuality context. 

Possible learning activities

• Continuum to explore values position of students.
• Reflective writing to develop students own attitudes and values.
• Neutral chair debate to help explore issues from different perspectives.
• Speed dating/doughnut to provide opportunity to express and justify an opinion.
• Think, Pair, Share to brainstorm the various ideas presented in the unit. 

• 6A3: Demonstrate understanding or responsible behaviours required to ensure that challenges and risks are managed safely in physical and social environments. 
• 6D2: Advocate for the development of services and facilities to meet identified needs in the school and the community. For example:
  • Investigate personal knowledge and skills that are required for safe sex practices and identifying the community support available for this. 

Possible learning activities

• Role plays to rehearse effective interpersonal communication – assertiveness.
• Brainstorm the implications of an unplanned pregnancy or STI on wellbeing – each dimension covered.
• Web-quest to allow students to establish their own methods of inquiry in to sexual health services.
• Critique a youth market website, for example, The Word, Rainbow Youth.
• Guest speakers from the community, for example, school nurse, counsellor, and local doctor.
• Family planning resources, for example, contraceptive kit and STI prevention resources. 

• 7D3 Evaluate laws, policies, practices and regulations in terms of their contribution to social justice at school and in the wider community. For example:
  • Year 12 learning intention - Evaluate a range of school policies in terms of their contribution to social justice at the school. 

Possible learning activities

• Jigsaw (expert groups) to unpack the school policies and practices, for example, sexual harassment, health and safety, EOTC, discrimination/bullying, behaviour management. Allowing students to put the documents in to their own language.
• Speed dating/doughnut to provide opportunity to express and justify an opinion on the policies.
• Neutral chair debate to help explore issues that have arisen from the policies.
• Use critical thinking to analyse the school policy, for example, using national data or developing questionnaire that enables students to see the effectiveness or the awareness level of a policy within the school, evaluating its use, and providing recommendations. 

• 7A4 Critically evaluate societal attitudes, values, and expectations that affect people’s awareness of their personal identity and sense of self-worth in a range of situations.
• 7C2 Analyse the beliefs, attitudes and practices that reinforce stereotypes and role expectations, identifying ways in which these shape people’s choices at individual, group and societal levels. For example:
  • Year 12 learning intention - Analyse societal attitudes, values, and expectations of gender and beliefs, attitudes and practices that reinforce the stereotypes and role expectations. 

Possible learning activities

• Analysis of rich media to explore gender roles in society like music videos, advertising, Disney Films, American sitcoms, for example, historical view of gender in society, roles of males and females within these.
• Mind mapping to link the attitudes and expectations to gender roles.
• Neutral chair debate to help explore issues developed from media resources.
• Student seminar of their analysis of one form of media that explores the gender roles.
  • Reflective writing to develop students own attitudes and values. 

Possible assessment links to achievement standards

• AS90974 Demonstrate understanding of strategies for promoting positive sexuality.
• AS91239 Analyse issues related to sexuality and gender to develop strategies for addressing the issues.

Last updated March 13, 2024

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