New Zealand secondary school teachers’ perspectives on teaching Relationships and Sexuality Education

Abstract

Best practice relationships and sexuality education (RSE) increases young people’s knowledge, critical thinking, and positive attitudes related to sexual and reproductive health and relationships (UNESCO, 2018). The Ministry of Education (2020a) asserts that a comprehensive approach to RSE begins early in a child’s life and progresses throughout the years of formal schooling. The Ministry of Education’s guidance (2020a) as well as the statement of National Educational and Learning Priorities (NELP) coming into effect in 2023, make it clear that expectations for RSE go beyond solely health education teaching and link to a whole school approach for the promotion of student wellbeing. Research literature from New Zealand generally highlights the inadequacies, gaps, and inconsistencies in RSE practice (Classification Office, 2020; Education Review Office, 2018; Family Planning, 2019; O’Neill, 2017). This research base has primarily been informed by young people’s perspectives and the evaluative work of the Education Review Office and reveals a gap in understanding of teachers’ perspectives of teaching RSE in New Zealand. The purpose of this research project, therefore, was to gain a contemporary view of the experiences of secondary school teachers in New Zealand in relation to relationships and sexuality education (RSE).