Design Research
To study the awareness patterns of sex education in private and government schools in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
As a part of the Research methodology module, I worked with a multidisciplinary team to conduct Qualitative research to learn tools and techniques. We selected our area of study from the UN SDGs as Quality education. This defines the context for further research and we limited our scope of work to schools in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The sensitivity of the topic led us to refine our research objective and question. We tried different tools among the team members to understand the impact on participants. It also helped us to gauge the tone of interview, language, time, and comfort level for better results from participants.
Research Tools
1. Interviews
2. 5-Why analysis
3. Focus group discussion
4. Word-concept association
Masturbation
Safe sex
STDs
Protection
Word - concept association
Puberty
Good/bad touch
Reproduction
Menstruation
Questionnaire
1. What is Puberty?
2. Do you know about the changes our body undergo during Puberty? Elaborate further.
3. Do you know about Good/bad touch? Since when? how did you come to know? Who told you?
4. Have you read/watched anything about sex education? what? where? how?
4. Have your parents/teachers/any other elders talked to you about sex education?
5. Do you talk about sex and physical changes among friends?
6. Do you know about Menstruation? Since when? how?
7. Do you know about Masturbation? Since when? how?
8. What do you know about Reproduction? Source of information?
9. What do you know about safe sex? Source of information?
10. What do you know about sexually transmitted diseases? Source of information?
Participants
1. Government school students 2. Private school students 3. Parents and teachers
Key Insights
- Both students and parents are not comfortable about conversing about sex.
- Most students prefer talking to their older friends than parents or teachers because they feel awkward about it.
- As they talk to their older friends, they have a curiosity to validate their findings. Here they rely on the internet/videos.
- Students feel that Sex education should be cognitively and separated from biology classes.
- Students start associating sex with pornographic content from the internet.
- Everything related to sex education is transmitted with a bandwagon effect.
- Language becomes a barrier to accessing various online resources.
- One on one counselling is missing while providing information about sex.
The proposed curriculum framework for sex education
The aim of this framework is to provide sex education with the gradual maturity of content.
6 - 12 years
Comics and engagement about good/bad touch.
12 - 15 years
Sensitizing boys and girls about gender identities and physical changes in opposite sex through games and playful activities.
15 - 18 years
Introduction to judiciary and laws about sexual offenses through situational games and real life case studies.
18 - 20 years
understanding safe sex and the right to bodily autonomy by one to one counselling and guided sessions.