Teaching Our Teachers To Teach: A SIECUS Study On Training and Preparation for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Sexuality Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This study looked at whether teacher education programs at 169 institutions offered courses designed to prepare preservice teachers to teach health education, sex education, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency System (HIV/AIDS) prevention education. Using course catalogs to allow for a systematic comparison of programs, researchers abstracted 819 courses in teacher education, health education, physical education, psychology, sociology, biology, religion, women's studies, human development and family studies, and home economics. Analysis of the study data suggested that elementary and secondary school teachers are not adequately prepared at the preservice level to provide HIV/AIDS prevention and sexuality education to students. Key findings included: (1) only 14 percent of the colleges and universities require a health education course for all preservice teachers, and no schools require a sex education course for all preservice teachers; (2) almost no elementary, secondary, or physical education certification programs require any courses on sexuality; (3) only 61 percent of the institutions require students in health education certification programs to take sexuality courses; (4) no schools require students in health education certification programs to take a course covering HIV/AIDS; (5) only 3 percent of physical education certification programs--and no elementary or secondary education certification programs--require sex education methodology courses; and (6) only 12 percent of schools offer any courses that mention HIV/AIDS in the course. Recommendations based on the findings include augmenting the number of sexuality and HIV/AIDS courses offered; improving course requirements for health, sexuality, and HIV/AIDS prevention education; expanding the scope of courses; and enriching teacher certification requirements. (Contains 18 references.) (ND)