Public School Teachers’ Readiness and Awareness Toward Comprehensive Sexuality Education

AUTHOR(S)

EDUARDO G. CADIZ JR.

ABSTRACT

— Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a program designed to develop a consistent comprehension of essential principles and themes to assure the unambiguous implementation of sexuality education protocols in schools, requiring the teachers’ readiness and awareness of the program for its successful and effective implementation. This study aimed to assess the level of readiness and awareness of public school teachers toward CSE in District III, DepEd Malaybalay City Division, Region X. Utilizing the descriptive correlational research design, the researcher used a researcher-made survey questionnaire to gather pertinent data for the study. The findings reveal that the public school teachers are predominantly in their late 30s and early 40s, female, married, holding Teacher III positions, many holding Master’s Degrees, have 11 years of significant teaching experience, mostly handling Grade 9 students, and have participated in division-level training on CSE. They possess above-average levels of readiness and awareness in all areas, indicating that the public school teachers are not only capable but also motivated to engage with CSE and have a higher-than-expected understanding and awareness of the program. It was also found that the teachers’ readiness for the implementation of CSE is significantly influenced by educational attainment and professional training and their awareness is significantly influenced by factors like educational attainment, relevant training attended, gender, and civil status. Also, the teachers’ readiness and awareness are significantly related, indicating that those who possess a comprehensive understanding of CSE are better equipped and more confident in delivering the program effectively. These findings imply that education authorities should prioritize equitable CSE training, encourage advanced studies, and address gender and cultural sensitivities to equip all teachers effectively. With this, the researcher recommends that education authorities consider the proposed program of activities that would enhance and sustain the readiness and awareness of public school teachers toward CSE. Keywords — Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), Teacher Readiness, Awareness, Educational Attainment, Professional Training, Gender Disparities, Cultural Sensitivities