Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Sexuality, Consent and Relations operate in contrast to the previous subject area Sex and Coexistence in an interdisciplinary matter. This implies that responsibility rest on each teacher to incorporate sexual education within their subject. This study aims to investigate the experiences and desires of upper secondary school student´s regarding the expressions and integration of the teaching area sexuality, consent, and relations in social studies education. To address the study´s questions, qualitative interviews with nine upper secondary school students was implemented. The examined area is highly relevant due to the curriculum changes that were implemented when the previous subject area of “Sex and coexistend” was redefined as “Sexuality, Consent and Relationships”. The findings of the empirical study showed that the interviewed upper secondary school students have primarily experiences of the subject area in natural science class. What was also found was that the students experiences vary depending on what social studies specialization they have. In terms of their desires, the students expressed a wish for the course on sexuality, consent, and relationships to include topics such as LBTQ+ issues, pornography, relationships, consent, and abortion. In conclusion, the results indicate that the participating upper secondary school students have limited and diverse experiences of the subject area. The findings also highlight the student´s awareness of the significant role of sexual education. Additionally, the results suggest that the students desire more education on sexuality, consent, and relationships within the context of social studies.

Tim Randberg and Filip Lindahl carried out this study under the institution for pedagogy, didactics and educational studies at Uppsala University. In relation to the lack of research regarding students’ perspectives regarding the legitimizing aspects of the school subject of social science(samhällskunskap), and in contrast to the existence of such research regarding teachers’ perspectives, this study is an attempt at contributing to the lack of previous research and note the importance of working towards a reality in which students’ and teachers’ attitudes, regarding the importance and the purpose of social studies, aligns.  This didactic study, which analyzes which attitudes are connected to a small group of students (age 18), as well as a small group of social science teachers, regarding what legitimizes studying social science, along with the key differences between these two groups, is an interview study in which a didactic theory formed by Gert Biesta was applied in relation to the results of the interview. Biesta’s theoretical framework, which is central for this study, categorized the legitimizing aspects of education into three categories: qualification, socialization and subjectification, in which every relevant analytical finding was categorized into each of Biesta’s three categories. This study concludes that both teachers and students found the internalization of democratic values as well as citizenship development to be the central legitimizing aspects of civic studies. The results regarding the teachers’ comments aligned with most previous research, except for the aspect of power, which in contrast to previous research was absent in the results for this study. Regarding the three theoretical categories, no significant differences were to be found but rather smaller differences that could be considered noteworthy. Teachers discussed the legitimizing aspects of civic studies from a qualification-related point of view more than the students did. In contrast, the students made comments that were connected to the concepts of socialization as well as subjectification in a greater sense compared to the teachers. Regarding the concept of qualification, both teachers and students related the purpose of civic studies to skills and knowledge necessary to engage politically in society, or to prosper in society. Connected to the concept of socialization, students found that it was important that people internalized democratic values and norms related to democracy, which aligns with the teachers’ responses, only that the latter as a group further discussed the legitimizing aspect of civic studies as it being a means to prevent extremism, racism as well as other anti-democratic aspects that a few students were described as gravitating towards. In relation to the concept of subjectification, students, unlike the teachers, noted the importance of becoming global citizens. Both groups argued for the importance of developing a culturally adaptive mindset as well as forming an individual political opinion. Most teachers discussed the importance of students, along with the civic studies, becoming less self-centered and more focused on their role in relation to a social, collective context. In contrast, several students made individualistic claims; that a legitimizing aspect of civic studies, regarding certain skills and abilities that comes with the subject and that was regarded as a key element in a modern, democratic social context, is that they develop a sense of what others think of them and how successfully they present themselves to other people, groups and institutions. One conclusion is that there is a reason for the didactic research-field to investigate whether there needs to be a function in Swedish education which investigates whether students and teachers share the same idea of why they are studying a subject or various content related to a subject,