PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE OF TEACHERS TOWARDS TEACHING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INTERVENTIONS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, EDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OSUN STATE

Abstract

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) intervention is one of the strategies to prevent problems associated with SRH, most especially among adolescents. As such WHO recommends that SRH intervention be included in secondary school curriculum. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the perception and attitude of secondary school teachers toward addressing sexual and reproductive health intervention in school. This study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional research survey design. The sample consisted of 131 secondary school teachers selected using proportionate and simple random techniques. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage while inferential statistics of chi-square was used for stated hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results were presented in tables and charts. The findings from the study showed that majority of the respondents were aged 31-40 years, mostly females, married with BSc certificate and had less than five years of experience in teaching mathematics. Almost two-thirds had good perceptions and positive attitudes toward SRH intervention. Factors influencing perception and attitude include appropriate training of teachers on SRH intervention, availability of materials, policies and guidelines for teaching SRH intervention, parental support, the willingness of students to address the issue, and continuous professional development that focuses on SRH. Therefore, it is necessary to sensitize the stakeholders on the importance of teaching SRH intervention among secondary school students.