EEH315 - Teaching Sexuality and Relationship Education

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong) - E377 course students only

Trimester 3: Waterfront (Geelong) for 2024 - E359 course students only *

*This unit alternates in Trimester 3 each year between Burwood (Melbourne) and Waterfront (Geelong) for students enrolled in E359. This unit will next be offered at Burwood (Melbourne) in Trimester 3, 2025.

 

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 2: Claire Stonehouse
Trimester 3: Claire Stonehouse
Cohort rule:

Students must be enrolled in an initial teacher education course

Prerequisite:

16 credit points of study. Students with Recognition of prior learning as part of their 16 credit points must seek approval from the Unit Chair

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: Nil
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

Trimester 2: 3 hours per week  (Weeks 1-5 and 8-11)

Trimester 3: Intensives offered in November (5 days x 6 hours)

Note:

Student enrolment quotas apply to the Trimester 2 offerings of this unit

Content

Sexuality does not suddenly emerge at secondary schools. Primary school age students live in a social context where they are exposed to messages about sexuality on a daily basis in the media through television, music, and advertising and from their peers. Sex is often joked about and discussed in derogatory or stereotypical ways. The correct information about human sexuality, including the positive aspects, is often kept hidden from children.

Generally children who receive a comprehensive sexuality education from an early age:

  • Understand and accept with confidence physical and emotional changes
  • Feel positive about their bodies
  • Appreciate individual difference
  • Are more likely to make informed and responsible sexual decisions in later life
  • Feel good about themselves and their gender
  • Are capable of communicating about sexual matters
  • Understand appropriate and inappropriate behaviour
  • Are less vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse (Family Planning, Queensland 1996).

Sexuality education can be confronting and challenging for teachers and currently there is very little professional development in the area of health and sexuality education, particularly for primary teachers. Current programs in primary schools are often taken by outside agencies in one off blocks. This approach does not provide any continuity in teaching and goes against research that suggests classroom teachers are the best people to teach sexuality education. Research also indicates that secondary school teachers find this a difficult area to teach. Graduating teachers need to be equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to integrate sexuality education content, issues and activities in health education programs in line with the Victorian Curriculum and student wellbeing policies and practice. Teachers need skills to provide effective teaching and learning activities, assess resources, deal with potentially sensitive issues with students and allay possible parental concerns. This unit is taught in intensive mode and includes the following content:

  • Setting the context: the current situation;
  • Discourses in sexuality education;
  • Physiological aspects of sex and sexual health;
  • Frameworks and policies;
  • Gender and sexuality;
  • Gender and sexual diversity;
  • Cultural and religious diversity;
  • Developing age appropriate approaches;
  • Dealing with sensitive issues;
  • Whole school approaches to sexuality education.
ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Evaluate and apply theory informed practice in sexuality and relationships education

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO2

Examine teaching strategies to meet the needs (and strengths) of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, socio-economic and diverse religious backgrounds

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem Solving

ULO3

Investigate strategies that support students mental and/or emotional safety within a school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical Thinking

ULO4

Implement a range of strategies when teaching for learning in a health education context

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO5: Problem Solving

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1 - Micro-teaching presentation 2000 words
or equivalent
50% Information not yet available
Assessment 2 - (Pairs) Resource Development 2000 words 50% Information not yet available

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: EEH315 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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