Abstract:

Education in sex and cohabitation is important and considered fundamental when it comes to helping children and young people too, among other things, develop respectful social and sexual relationships [1]. Today, children receive education about sex and cohabitation already in primary education [2]. Future teachers encounter the topic mainly during one biology course as part of their teacher education towards year 4-6 in Sweden [3]. However, from autumn 2022, the area now called ‘sex and cohabitation’ will change its name to ‘sexuality, consent and relationships’; this applies both to the subject in primary schools [4] and to the Swedish teacher education [5]. The responsibility to teach will also expand beyond the biology subject to include almost all subjects in primary school as well as the overall curriculum for Swedish teacher education.

The changes in the curriculum for the Swedish teacher education require a new approach on how to teach sexuality, consent and relationships within the biology subject in order to ensure the teacher students' competence. To provide material to analyze the impact of these changes, interviews have been conducted with professional actors in the field, which have been contrasted with the changes in both primary school and the Swedish universities' curricula.

The data collection was conducted in the spring of 2022 and the results show us that it is of great concern that newly graduated teachers possess knowledge, but also self-confidence to reflect and communicate issues related to sexuality, consent and relationships. During the interviews with the professional actors it appeared that the general opinion among today's teachers is that it is difficult to teach the topic. The interviewees also emphasize that the change that the country's teacher education is now undergoing in the long run will increase the quality of teaching and make it more equal.

Based on interviews and analysis of school and university curricula, we propose guidelines for the implementation of the topic sexuality, consent and relationships within the biology subject in teacher education towards year 4-6.

References:
[1] UNESCO “International technical guidance on sexuality education.” Revised edition. 2018 ISBN 978-92-3-100259-5
[2] Swedish National Agency for Education “Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare 2011”, 2018. ISBN: 978-913832734-0
[3] Södertörns University “Concentration Course: Science and Technology, Primary School, Years 4-6, 30 credits.” 2020. Retrieved from https://www.sh.se/rest-api/cpl/syllabus?code=%C3%96V009G&period=20213&lang=sv
[4] The National Agency for Education “Changes in the introductory part of the primary school, the preschool class and the after-school centre.” 2021. Retrieved from https://www.skolverket.se/publikationer?id=8687
[5] Södertörns University “Teacher Education with an Intercultural Profile: Primary School, years 4-6, 240 credits” 2022. Retrieved from https://www.sh.se/rest-api/cpl/syllabus?code=P3417&period=20223&lang=sv

Keywords:

Teacher education, sexuality, consent and relationships, curriculum design.