INTRODUCTION

Significance of the Study

Sex education aims to develop and strengthen the ability of children and young

people to make conscious, satisfying, healthy and respectful choices regarding

relationship, sexuality, and emotional and physical health (WHO, 2016). According to

DeGuzman, et. al. (2011), sex education in the Philippines is lacking by which can lead

to unprotected sex and increase in the number of HIV cases and unwanted pregnancy

especially in the basic and secondary education students.

According to the research of Landy, Singh, and Darroch (2000) there are 6% of

girls and 18% of boys had sexual intercourse before the age 13 (approximately before

high school), and that 33% and 45%, respectively, have ever had intercourse. Based on

the research of World Health Organization (2016), introduction of sex education led of

declining the case of abortions, HIV, and teenage pregnancy among young people from

ages 15-24 years old.

This study will imply the theory of planned behavior. Theory of Planned Behavior

is proposed by Aizen (1985) that proposes that an individual’s decision to engage in a

specific behavior such as gambling or stopping gambling can be predicated by their

intention to engage in that behavior. This theory is used in determining the perceptions,

beliefs, and attitudes of teachers in integrating sex education in basic education

curriculum by the application of the TDP. According to Brookes (2021), All the

components of the model are assessed using questionnaires or interviews, so the

answers are influenced by social desirability.

 Sex education is already existing in some country, according to Landry et. al.

(2000), some schools in the United States already introduced sex education to their fifth

and sixth grade pupils, for they believe knowing the information about sex and

reproduction at young age can help to decline the cases of teenage pregnancy and HIV.

The gap of this study will be the post pandemic phenomenon where we will have to

know if the beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of the teachers are different than the pre

pandemic phenomenon.

Objectives of the Study

General Objectives

This study aims to determine the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of elementary

teachers in integrating sex education to the basic education curriculum. Specifically

aims to;

1. to determine the socio demographic profile of the respondents in terms of age,

sex, the length of service, and educational attainment.

2. to determine the beliefs, perceptions, and attitude of the elementary teacher in

integrating sex education in the basic education curriculum

3. to determine if there is a significant difference between the beliefs, perceptions,

and attitudes when grouped according to sociodemographic characteristics.

Expected Output of the Study

The following are the expected outcomes of the study

1. The Socio demographic characteristics of the respondents

2. The perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of the respondents on integrating sex

education curriculum to the basic education curriculum

3. The significant difference of socio demographic characteristics to the beliefs,

perceptions, and attitudes.

Place and Time of the Study

This study will be conducted at Alamada West District in the school year 2023-

2024
Operational Definition of Terms

Attitudes – refer to the negative or positive evaluation of an object which influences

human behavior towards that object.

Beliefs – refer to the attitude we have, roughly, whenever we take something to be the

case or regard it as true.

Perceptions – refer to the process through which information from outside environment

is selected, received, organized, and interpreted to make meaningful to

you. This input of meaningful information results in decisions and actions.

Sex Education – refer to high quality teaching and learning about a broad variety of

topics related to sex and sexuality. It explores values and beliefs about

those topics and helps people gain the skills that are needed to navigate

relationships with self, partners, and community, and manage one’s own

sexual health. Sex education may take place in schools, at home, in

community settings, or online.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework of this the theory of planned behavior. Theory of

Planned Behavior is proposed by Aizen (1985) that proposes that an individual’s

decision to engage in a specific behavior such as gambling or stopping gambling can be

predicated by their intention to engage in that behavior. This theory is used in

determining the perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of teachers in integrating sex

education in basic education curriculum by the application of the TDP. According to

Brookes (2021), All the components of the model are assessed using questionnaires or

interviews, so the answers are influenced by social desirability.

Hypothesis of the Study

Ho1: There is no significant difference between demographic characteristics to

beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of elementary teacher in integrating sex education to

basic education curriculum.

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Socio Demographic Beliefs
Characteristics
Perceptions
Attitudes

Figure 1. The schematic diagram showing the significant difference of socio

demographic characteristics to the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of elementary

teachers towards integrating sex education to basic education curriculum to their socio

demographic characteristics.

The figure 1 shows the schematic diagram which has two variables, the

dependent and independent variable. The independent variable is the socio

demographic characteristics of the elementary teachers, and the dependent variable are

the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of elementary teachers towards integrating sex

education to the basic education curriculum.

 Review of Related Literature

Sex Education

The history of sex education is started in the United States where they believed

that the home was the place to discuss sex education, in schools sex education are not

a big thing since the Americans thought that the topics of sex education are not

appropriate and responsibility of the school to discuss (Huber & Firmin, 2014).

According to Iyer and Aggeleton (2013), sex education is essential to the young people

of Uganda so they can control their sexual desire. Sex education could be beneficial to

the students because it may reduce the cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and

unwanted pregnancy to the youths (Iyer & Aggleton, 2014; Espinosa & Barraza, 2021).

The goal of sex education in schools is to increase and improve young people's

capacity to make thoughtful decisions about their relationships, sexuality, and overall

emotional and physical well-being. Sex Education does not encourage kids and sexual

activity among youth (Taylor & Francis, 2015).

Martinez et. al. (2012) discussed the obstacle of teaching sex education in

school, their findings shows that one of the main obstacles of the teachers was

that the current law in Spain is neither demanding nor precise. This subject appears

insignificant and/or irrelevant due to the belief that sex education should be a cross-

curricular issue as well as a lack of planning, evaluation, and supervision. When we

take into account the external demands placed on the educational system and therefore

teachers, as well as the significant social and educational pressure for "academic"

results and lower concern for "social and health" outcomes, we can understand why
teachers lack motivation and engage in the practice of sex education. However, we

cannot say that the obstacle that they are facing in Spain is the same to the obstacle

facing in the Philippines since there are lack of studies that supports the claim of the

author.

Mandigo (2020), discussed the advantages and disadvantages of teaching sex

education in his paper, he stated that the sex education in schools has a significant

impact on preventing sexual difficulties in adulthood by educating kids about their

bodies, the human reproductive system, sexually transmitted illnesses, birth control, and

pregnancy prevention methods. Additionally, it instructs pupils on what is good and

wrong. Through sex education, young people get the ability to communicate, listen,

negotiate, ask for help from others, and locate sources of support and guidance around

sexual interactions. Moreover, the author also stated that A lack of information is

thought to be hazardous. Students typically receive sex education during physical

education or health classes. This brief diversion is insufficient to teach pupils important

lessons about sexual education, which frequently goes against people's morals and

beliefs.

Beliefs of Sex Education

According to Chirwaru et. al. (2014) People with disabilities are at increased risk

of exposure to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV due to several

factors such as lack of HIV knowledge and access to education. A recent meta-analysis

on HIV prevalence among people with disabilities in Africa revealed that certain groups

with disabilities might be higher than that of the general population. Data revealed an

overall positive attitude towards teaching most topics relevant to sexuality education
believing that these need to be taught in special schools. While items under the sub-

themes of relationships and personal skills scored relatively high, the items summarized

under sexual behaviors scored lower. Results indicate a high agreement with teaching

personal skills in relation to values, decision making, communication and looking for

help. Sexual behavior (masturbation, shared sexual behavior and sexual fantasy) and

Sexual health (abortion, contraception, and reproductive health). The data indicates that

topics such as dating, marriage, and contraception are less likely to be discussed in the

classrooms. However, the data presented by the researcher does not reflect in the local

scene since their study only focus on Africa.

Many studies have investigated the beliefs of teachers regarding sex education.

In a study by Wei et al. (2020) in China, it was found that teachers believed that sex

education was essential for students to develop healthy attitudes and behaviors towards

sexuality. The study revealed that most teachers were supportive of sex education but

lacked the necessary knowledge, skills, and confidence to teach the subject effectively.

In a study conducted by Lee et al. (2021) in South Korea, teachers reported that

they faced challenges in teaching sex education, including the lack of training, limited

time, and lack of support from parents and the community. The study revealed that most

teachers believed that sex education was necessary, but they lacked the resources and

support to teach the subject effectively.

In the Philippines, a study by Roco (2019) found that most teachers were

hesitant to teach sex education due to cultural and religious beliefs. The study revealed

that many teachers believed that sex education should be taught by parents and not by
schools. However, some teachers recognized the importance of sex education and

believed that it should be integrated into the curriculum.

Perceptions on Sex Education

Many studies have investigated the perceptions of teachers on sex education. In

a study conducted by Junttila et al. (2019) in Finland, it was found that teachers

perceived sex education as an essential aspect of education that could contribute to the

holistic development of students. The study revealed that most teachers supported the

integration of sex education into the curriculum but believed that it should be age-

appropriate and culturally sensitive.

Similarly, a study by Nguyen and Nguyen (2021) in Vietnam found that teachers

perceived sex education as a necessary aspect of education that could help students

develop healthy attitudes towards sexuality and relationships. The study revealed that

most teachers supported the integration of sex education into the curriculum but

believed that it should be taught in a way that respects cultural values and beliefs.

In the Philippines, a study by Roco (2019) found that many teachers perceived

sex education as a sensitive issue that should be taught with caution. The study

revealed that some teachers were hesitant to teach sex education due to cultural and

religious beliefs. However, some teachers recognized the importance of sex education

and believed that it could help students make informed decisions about their sexual

health.

Nadeem, et. al. (2020) concluded that their study reports the existence of

different attitudes among Pakistani parents and teachers about sex education. A greater
percentage of parents surveyed supported the inclusion of age-appropriate sex

education in school curricula than. The main perceived challenge in implementing sex

education is that some parents do not want the subject to be taught in schools, while

sexual abuse prevention has been identified as a key benefit. When working to

incorporate sex education into Pakistani school curricula, it is imperative first to educate

the general population about the needs and benefits of doing so. In addition, good

quality initial and in-service teacher training programs are needed to ensure the delivery

of high-quality CSE. Therefore, developing scientifically accurate, age and context

appropriate CSE programs and identifying appropriate modalities for effective

implementation remains a major challenge in Pakistan. However, their research cannot

generalize all teachers since this study is only conducted in Pakistan. In this regard, I

will suggest that the authors expand their scope so they can have wide generalization.

Shin, et. al. (2019), invited 360 parents in their study and analyzed 337

responses and 23 of their respondents’ response are discarded because of insufficient

response. They found out that 53.7% of the respondents has a positive perception in

formal sex education being introduced in schools. However, this result might be not the

same if the same questionnaire will be tested in different countries, since the authors

focused only in South Korea.

Alomair, et. al. (2021), concluded in their qualitative study that most of women in

Saudi Arabia lacks of knowledge regarding sex education, and it leads to a negative

impact in their physical and psychological wellbeing.

Picardal, (2022) revealed two major themes in her study entitled “Ideals and

drawbacks: Perspectives of Teachers on the Integration of Sex Education in the K to 12

Curriculum”. The two major theme is the ideals and drawbacks, under this theme there

are 3 sub themes in each of the major theme. Under the ideals of integration on sex

education in the K-12 are; a holistic perspective, necessary and beneficial for

adolescents, and requires maturity and mastery of content. On the other hand, the

drawbacks of this are; fearful that curiosity of students lead to sexual activity,

inconsistencies in the scope and manner of instructional delivery, and sociocultural

elements act as strong opposition.

Shaikh, et. al. (2017), has invited 153 medical students through convenience

sampling, and they found out the different sources of information about sex education in

Karachi. The common sources are friends, mothers, school teachers, and books and

magazines. However, the result of their study might be inconsistent when it is tested in

different place. I will recommend that the author will expand their scope to have more

wider generalization.

Attitudes on Sex Education

Many studies have investigated the attitudes of teachers on sex education. In a

study conducted by Akbari et al. (2019) in Iran, it was found that teachers had positive

attitudes towards sex education and believed that it was necessary to help students

develop healthy attitudes towards sexuality and relationships. The study revealed that

most teachers were supportive of sex education and believed that it should be

integrated into the curriculum.

 Similarly, a study by Gezgin and Yavuz (2021) in Turkey found that teachers had

positive attitudes towards sex education and recognized the importance of teaching

students about sexuality and relationships. The study revealed that most teachers

believed that sex education was necessary and should be taught in a way that respects

cultural values and beliefs.

In the Philippines, a study by Buot (2020) found that most teachers had positive

attitudes towards sex education but were hesitant to teach the subject due to cultural

and religious beliefs. The study revealed that some teachers believed that sex

education should be taught by parents and not by schools. However, some teachers

recognized the importance of sex education and believed that it should be integrated

into the curriculum.

Tamas et. al., (2019) concludes that attitudes toward the sexuality of people with

intellectual disabilities provide insight into the community's level of understanding,

sensibility, and acceptance of those people's sexual rights. They can also affect the

development of programs that increase awareness and educate people with intellectual

disabilities, their parents, professionals who work with them, and the larger social

community. The purpose of these programs is to stimulate the development of good

society attitudes towards persons with Intellectual Disabilities and their needs, but also

to improve the quality of support supplied to these persons and their quality of life in

general.

Sankhla and Theodore (2015), discussed that previous findings, opinions

towards the self-control It was discovered that people with intellectual disabilities had

more unfavorable views of sexuality toward males than women, but this finding was only
statistically significant at the uncorrected alpha level (p 0.05). Clinical ramifications

follow from these findings. For instance, health and social care workers should take into

account the possibility of increased stigma and unfavorable views from communities of

South Asian service-users with intellectual disabilities toward sexual rights and sexual

self-control. Sexual difficulties should be addressed for South Asians with intellectual

disabilities through interventions including educators and support staff. This is due to

the fact that sexuality is not commonly discussed in South Asian families, particularly

between children and parents.

Pebdani, (2016), the findings of this study could potentially have a wide range of

effects. Secondly, educators and group home managers can endeavor to ensure that

their staff members receive frequent training on sexuality given that training has the

potential to positively alter views toward the sexual rights of people with intellectual

disabilities. Similarly, managers of group homes would probably benefit from creating

policies or broadly disseminating existing ones given that nearly half of the sample

claimed that their employer did not have a policy relating to sexuality and intellectual

disability. By implementing these two adjustments, group homes might develop a more

welcoming culture and foster a more accepting attitude about sexuality for people with

intellectual disabilities.

Chou, et. al. (2016), showed that the majority of college students exhibited

favorable attitudes on the sexuality of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Parents,

professionals, and university students all had various perspectives on how men and

women with intellectual disabilities should exercise parental authority and control over
their sexual behavior. Age, education, and religion of the participants all had an impact

on their attitudes.

Alzaabi, et. al., (2018) concluded in their qualitative study that parents in Oman

supports the integration of sex education in their curriculum, however, they strongly

suggest that the contents of the curriculum must be conform to the religious standards

of Islam and supported a shared responsibility between themselves and school when

delivering Comprehensive Sex Education among their children.

Benefits of Sex Education

Despite the challenges faced by teachers in teaching sex education, many

studies have shown that sex education can have significant benefits for students. In a

study by Widman et al. (2018) in the United States, it was found that students who

received comprehensive sex education were more likely to delay sexual activity, use

contraception, and have fewer sexual partners compared to students who did not

receive sex education.

Similarly, a study by Li et al. (2021) in China found that students who received

sex education had more accurate knowledge about sexuality and were more likely to

practice safe sex. The study revealed that sex education was effective in improving

students' attitudes towards sexuality and reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted

infections.

In a study by Saleem et al. (2020) in Pakistan, it was found that students who

received sex education had more accurate knowledge about sexuality and were more

likely to practice safe sex. The study revealed that sex education was effective in
promoting healthy behaviors and reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted

infections.

Okonofua et al. (2019) in Nigeria found that students who received sex education

had more positive attitudes towards sexuality and relationships. The study revealed that

sex education was effective in promoting healthy behaviors and reducing the incidence

of unintended pregnancies.

Related Studies

Nunez, et. al. (2018) founds out that results present evidence that student

teachers who are holding strong self-efficacy beliefs and favorable attitudes towards

CSE are more likely to integrate/teach CSE into their future teaching practices.

Unfavorable attitudes towards CSE and CSE knowledge appear not to be significantly

associated with student teachers' intentions to teach CSE into their future teaching

practices. Favorable attitudes toward CSE seem to be most strongly associated with

teachers’ intentions to teach CSE.

According to the study of Chavula, et. al. (2022), the nature of the problem

influences the degree to which Comprehensive Sex Education interventions have been

designed to address SRH related gaps in the general education system. This section

documents the major characteristics of the problem. Teenage pregnancies and

marriages, STIs, and lack of knowledge of CSE were among the reasons for the

interventions. Many authors of publications reported teenage pregnancies and early

marriages as being major public health problems in LIMCs and expressed concern

about the unequal access to SRH knowledge amongst adolescents.

Zulu, et. al. (2019) found that that the CSE curriculum was treated in an arbitrary

manner, leaving much room for the teachers to decide how, when and what to teach as

well as what to leave out. With very little guidance, these choices ultimately depended

on the individual teacher’s judgement on what would be appropriate to teach

considering the time available, the age of the learners and the local norms about

sexuality and sex education.

 METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The research will use a descriptive-correlation research design. This type of

quantitative descriptive correlation design is used to measure variables. The descriptive

research design will be use in describing the socio-demographic characteristics of the

respondents, as well in determining the perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of elementary

teachers in integrating sex education curriculum to the basic education curriculum. The

correlation research design will be use to correlate the relationships between the socio-

demographic characteristics of the respondents to their perceptions, beliefs, and

attitudes in integrating sex education curriculum to the basic education curriculum.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study will be the elementary teachers of Alamada Central

Elementary School. The respondents will be chosen carefully. A set of inclusion criteria

will be followed in identifying the respondents. The respondents will be included if (1)

they are teaching at Alamada Central Elementary School, (2) they are at least 1 year in

service.

Sampling Procedure
 This study will use a Stratified Random Sampling. Slovin’s formula will be utilized

to calculate the sample size from a given population. Slovin’s formula is given as

N
follows: n= 2 where n is the sample size, N is the population size, and e is the
1+ N e

margin of error decided by the researcher (Castillo, 2016). This study will be utilized 5%

margin of error in the computation of the sample size. However, the total number of the

respondents is yet to be determined.

Research Instrument

The instrument that will be utilize in this study is adapted from the research of

Mchuno (2007), Perez, et. al. (2004) and Gunay, et. al. (2014). The first part of the

research instrument is gathering the socio-demographic characteristics of the

respondents in terms of age, sex, and length of service. The next part is gathering of the

perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of the respondents in integrating sex education

curriculum in basic education curriculum.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher will conduct the study after the approval of proposal. Then, the

researcher will send a letter to the school principal in order to request permission to

administer the survey questionnaire. When approved, the respondents will be informed

of the purpose of the study, and that is the time to gather data in the school campus and

ask the Elementary teachers to answer the research questionnaire. After administering
the research questionnaire, the researcher will collect the paper from the respondents.

All the data gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will be used for the

sole purpose of the research and nothing more.

Statistical Analysis

In this research, the researcher will be using descriptive statistics such as

frequency count, mean and percentage to describe the socio-demographic

characteristics and the perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of the respondents in

integrating sex education curriculum in basic education curriculum. The researcher will

also use the correlation statistics, particularly regression analysis and pearson-r

correlation. The regression analysis will describe the influence of length of service to

beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes, while the pearson-r correlation will describe

relationship of the age and sex of the respondents to their beliefs, perceptions, and

attitudes in integrating sex education curriculum to the basic education curriculum.

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