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Sexuality Education Policy Implementation in Two Rural Midwestern School Districts

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Abstract

This study sought to further interrogate the sexuality education debate from the perspective of the educational policy being implemented to achieve established curricular requirements and goals in rural midwestern communities. To this point, very little research has examined the way in which sexuality education curricula are implemented in these communities. The overall purpose of this study was to analyze sexuality education policy implementation in two rural midwestern communities in the state of Iowa. The researcher was interested in learning how administrators and educators in rural midwestern communities implemented sexuality education policy, and understanding that process from a social cognitive theoretical framework. A qualitative case study was conducted. Seven local administrators and educators from two rural school districts in the state of Iowa were interviewed. Analysis revealed four interactive themes that shed light on how sexuality education policy is implemented in rural midwestern communities: (a) values and beliefs of implementing agents, (b) community context, (c) implementing agent interaction, and (d) organization and administration of sexuality education. Ultimately, the impact of situated social cognition on implementing agents’ decisions with regard to sexuality education was evident and significant. Prior knowledge (Cohen and Weiss 1993), social situations and community history (Lin 2000), professional discourses (Hill 1999), and informal networks all impacted the implementing agents’ cognitive frameworks.

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Notes

  1. Prior to this time, education was subsumed within the then called US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

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  1. Department of Sociology/Women’s and Gender Studies Program, 208 Carver, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50010, USA

    Adam Foley

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Foley, A. Sexuality Education Policy Implementation in Two Rural Midwestern School Districts. Sex Res Soc Policy 12, 347–358 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-015-0205-x

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