Sexual Education Compare Contrast Sexuality Education Social

Sexual Education

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Sexuality education

Social learning theory views education as an inculcation in social norms. Sexuality education requires the individual to learn the biological mechanics of sexuality, but also to understand the social assumptions connected to this facet of human life. Sexuality is not acquired instinctively, even though puberty is a biological phenomenon all adolescents experience. Sexuality is also about acquiring social norms and knowledge. Learning never takes place in isolation. Sexual norms are not learned simply through formal sex education, but also from peers and the media. However, sexual education must strive to counteract misinformation and negative stereotypes, empowering students with facts. Sexual education in the classroom must counteract some of the negative misinformation students will learn, and better equip them to make intelligent decisions.

Because a principle of social learning theory is that it takes place all of the time, adult role models are important for young people. "Modeling positive and healthy sexuality-related behavior to youth is extremely important" (Social learning theory, 2009, National Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention). If adults are able to address sexuality in an open and forthright manner, so will teens. They must embody the values of respect and dignity they wish teens to emulate. Finally, "the theory suggests there are three steps to learning: knowledge, motivation and self-efficacy" (Social learning theory, 2009, National Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention). After learning from others and feeling motivated because of the positive feelings teens receive from their knowledge, teen learners are able to use it on their own and gain a sense of personal empowerment over that knowledge when making decisions.

Another theory of learning, moral development theory, offers a stage-based, developmental analysis to moral education. It suggests that all human beings go through relatively similar stages when learning how to be socially moral actors, much like it takes time for children to learn the laws of volume and mass (as detailed in the work of Piaget). Moral development theory places more of an emphasis on nature than nature, versus the environmentally-focused social learning theory. Moral development theory suggests a person must be taught in a developmentally-appropriate fashion, based upon the unique structure of the human brain and its evolution over an individual's lifespan. Kohlberg's theory of moral development suggests that students go from a fairly elemental understanding of 'right' and 'wrong' to a more sophisticated understanding of abstract moral concepts.