GENDER INFLUENCE ON TEACHERS KNOWLEDGE, WILLINGNESS AND COMFORTABILITY IN TEACHING SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN OSUN STATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

The study examined teachers knowledge of Sexuality Education in Osun State primary schools. It determined teachers readiness and comfortability to teach the subject and ascertained the influence of gender on teachers knowledge, willingness and comfortability in teaching Elementary Sexuality Education. The study population consisted of primary school teachers in Osun State. A sample of 173 teachers was selected using the multi-stage purposive sampling procedure. Data for the study were collected using one research instrument titled Teachers Questionnaire on Elementary Sexuality Education (TQESE). Data collected were analysed using percentages, t-test and chi-square statistics. The results showed that primary school teachers had adequate knowledge of sexuality education. The majority of the teachers expressed their willingness to teach sexuality education in primary schools. The results also showed that gender did not significantly influence teachers knowledge of sexuality education but there were gender differences in teachers' comfortability to teach the subject with male teachers expressing higher levels of comfortability than their female counterparts. The study concluded that the absence of gender difference in teachers' knowledge of sexuality education coupled with teachers' expression of their willingness and comfortability to teach the subject, the prospects for the smooth implementation of sexuality education curriculum in Osun State primary schools are very bright.