KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PUBERTY AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Puberty is a significant element of sex education in the European as well as global dimension. During puberty, reproduction abilities are achieved. Puberty represents an essential hormone process accompanied by physical changes and rapidly transforming psyche, during which individuals become aware of their own personalities. Children need to be prepared for puberty in time and in an appropriate manner; this should include all related associations and contexts. Timely readiness for puberty means that children have the required knowledge before its onset – during pre-puberty when they are in primary school. Knowledge is gained in the process of learning and represents the level of awareness. The level of knowledge about puberty includes the amount and quality of relevant information. The objective of the present research study is to identify the level of knowledge about puberty among primary school children in the Czech Republic in terms of gender. The research method to determine the knowledge about puberty was the achievement test. The level of knowledge about puberty was tested by means of 9 items with open-ended answers. The content of the test items focused on the following: concept of puberty; definition of puberty; puberty age range; knowledge about physical changes in boys and girls; knowledge about other changes that puberty induces; significance of puberty in human life. The data were described by means of statistical procedures and descriptive statistics.
The research was realized by the project at Palacký University Olomouc, the Czech Republic.