EEH315 - Teaching Sexuality and Relationship Education
| Year: | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong) - E377 course students only Trimester 3: Burwood (Melbourne) for 2025 - E359 course students only * *This unit alternates in Trimester 3 each year between Burwood (Melbourne) and Waterfront (Geelong) for students enrolled in E359. This unit will next be offered at Waterfront (Geelong) in Trimester 3, 2026. |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Cohort rule: | Students must be enrolled in an initial teacher education course |
| Prerequisite: | 16 credit points of study. Students with Recognition of prior learning as part of their 16 credit points must seek approval from the Unit Chair |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Study commitment | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
| Scheduled learning activities - campus | Trimester 2: 1 x 3-hour on-campus seminar per week Trimester 3: 5 x 6-hour on-campus intensive (seminar) per trimester in weeks 1-3 (9.00am-3:30pm) |
| Note: | Student enrolment quotas apply to the Trimester 2 offerings of this unit |
Content
Sexuality does not suddenly emerge at secondary schools. Primary school age students live in a social context where they are exposed to messages about sexuality on a daily basis in the media through television, music, and advertising and from their peers. Sex is often joked about and discussed in derogatory or stereotypical ways. The correct information about human sexuality, including the positive aspects, is often kept hidden from children.
Generally children who receive a comprehensive sexuality education from an early age:
- understand and accept with confidence physical and emotional changes
- feel positive about their bodies
- appreciate individual difference
- are more likely to make informed and responsible sexual decisions in later life
- feel good about themselves and their gender
- are capable of communicating about sexual matters
- understand appropriate and inappropriate behaviour
- are less vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse (Family Planning, Queensland 1996).
Sexuality education can be confronting and challenging for teachers and currently there is very little professional development in the area of health and sexuality education, particularly for primary teachers. Current programs in primary schools are often taken by outside agencies in one off blocks. This approach does not provide any continuity in teaching and goes against research that suggests classroom teachers are the best people to teach sexuality education. Research also indicates that secondary school teachers find this a difficult area to teach. Graduating teachers need to be equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to integrate sexuality education content, issues and activities in health education programs in line with the Victorian Curriculum and student wellbeing policies and practice. Teachers need skills to provide effective teaching and learning activities, assess resources, deal with potentially sensitive issues with students and allay possible parental concerns. This unit is taught in intensive mode and includes the following content:
- setting the context: the current situation
- discourses in sexuality education
- physiological aspects of sex and sexual health
- frameworks and policies
- gender and sexuality
- gender and sexual diversity
- cultural and religious diversity
- developing age appropriate approaches
- dealing with sensitive issues
- whole school approaches to sexuality education
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.