Date of Award

12-1988

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Uldis Smidchens

Second Advisor

Dr. Peggy Gaskill

Third Advisor

Dr. Carol Sheffer

Fourth Advisor

Dr. David Cowden

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate decision-makers' opinions about what was to be contained in comprehensive sex education programs, the degree to which decision makers believed course information was likely to be part of their own curriculum, and how much support they believed the community would give to various parts of the curriculum.

The instrument used in the study was created by combining parts of surveys by Wayne (1981) and Marini and Jones (1983). The study compared the opinions of decision makers about guidelines to be used when implementing sex education, reasons for offering sex education, reasons for not offering sex education, and topics to be covered in comprehensive programs of sex education to the independent variables of age, gender, church attendance, church affiliation, and the decision-makers' perceptions of public support for programs in human reproductive and sex education.

There were differences found in certain age groups of decision makers when giving opinions about reasons for not offering sex education. The respondents in the 60 years of age and over category indicated that the reasons for not offering sex education were more important than did subjects who were either in the lowest category (i.e., 30-39 years of age) or the second youngest age category (i.e., 40-49 years of age).

Decision makers of different church attendance rates responded differently based upon church attendance than those who reported not attending church at all. With respect to the importance of reasons for offering sex education, respondents who reported they attend church weekly indicated less importance to the reasons for offering sex education than did those who reported that they attended church either monthly or not at all. Decision makers who reported attending church weekly also indicated a higher degree of perceived community support for listed topics than did those who attended church only monthly.

A slight relationship was found between decision-makers' opinions regarding the probability for implementation of information to be taught in sex education courses and their opinions regarding the existence of community support relative to the information to be taught.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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