Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the Study

From past to present era, perception of people about sexual

matters is constantly changing, one of which is the knowledge and

understanding of people towards sex education whether adults,

youngsters and teenagers. Sex education is a crucial issue involving

scientific and religious aspects. The two contradicting aspects affect the

mentality and morality of people. However, if this matter will not be

properly intervened, problems with individuals, society, morality and

other sexual matters will continue to arise and will probably leave

irreparable sociobiological damage to individuals, families, and society.

Today, the perception of teenagers towards sexual issues are

said to be very shallow since many teenagers are engaging in

premarital sex without knowing its consequences and effects, lack of

understanding from the prevalent issue and lack of guidance from

parents or families. To prove this fact, Burt (2009) said that teenagers

obtain information about sexual matters informally from friends and the

media. Much of such information was usually known to be deficient,

especially during the period of puberty when curiosity of sexual matters

was the most acute. This deficiency became increasingly evident by the

increasing incidence of teenage pregnancies especially in western

1
countries and even around the globe. As part of each countries effort is

to reduce such pregnancies, programs of “sex education” were

instituted initially over strong opposition from parents and religious

groups.

In the Philippines, sex remains taboo but everything is changing,

as the government introduces sex education program to public school

pupils. The path to introduce the Adolescence Reproductive Health

Programme to children from the fifth grade and older in 80 public

schools, elementary and 79 high schools, but will soon be expanded

nationwide. Topics will range from personal hygiene to reproductive

health. Issues relating to premarital sex, teenage pregnancy as well as

HIV and AIDS will also be discussed in the subject (Valisno, 2010).

In Davao City, the city mayor supports the DepEd plan to

incorporate sex education in the curriculum. However, it will depend on

the schools (incorporate sex education) as the city cannot insist on it but

the question relies on how fully the teachers are equipped since they

lack training and materials to handle sexuality education. Is it

reasonable that sex education will be taught in schools for youngsters

considering their age will be or will not be fit to the sensitivity issues of

sex education? Are the parents having the sole responsibility of

educating children on issues about sex? Is sex education programme

one of the major key on cutting population growth rate which is blamed

for massive poverty? This issue is very crucial in guiding, molding, and

2
developing understanding, awareness and morality of children and

teenagers.

University of Mindanao generalists will soon teach grade-school

students from the fifth grade to secondary school. It is part of their

profession to teach with the ability to adopt new strategies in

incorporating sex education in their curriculum. Further it is important to

measure their perception toward the matter in order to provide unbiased

results for the study. Thus, it is in this context that the researchers

pursue to investigate the perception of UM Bachelor or Elementary

Education students about sex education.

Statement of the Problem

This study is conducted for the following reasons:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1. sex,

1.2 settlement

1.3. year level?

2. What is the percentage level of family background of the

respondents in terms of:

2.1. religiosity,

2.2. family values?

3. What is the percentage level of perception of the respondents on sex

education in terms of:

3
 3.1. relevance,

3.2. urgency,

3.3. appropriateness?

4. Does family background influence the perceptions of the

respondents on sex education?

Hypotheses:

Ho1. Family background does not influence the perceptions of the

respondents on sex education.

Significance of the Study

The purpose of conducting the study is to gather data about the

perception of the BEEd Generalist students in sex education. This study

is beneficial to the following:

UM Professors. This study is for UM Professors that they will be

able to know the perception of their students about the issue which is

essential to the subject English 201.

Students. This study is beneficial to UM BEEd generalist

students to be able to acquire additional knowledge about sex

education and will contribute to their awareness about the issue.

Researchers. This study will reinforce the knowledge foundation

necessary for research and that they will be encouraged to recommend

and produce another study about sex education.

4
Scope and limitation

This study is bounded only to the perception of the Bachelor of

Elementary Education students regarding sex education in University of

Mindanao.

Review of Related Literature

Family Background

Religiosity. Religiosity, in its broadest sense, is a comprehensive

sociological term used to refer to the numerous aspects of religious

activity, dedication, and belief (religious doctrine). Another term that

would work equally well, though less often used, is religiousness. In its

narrowest sense, religiosity deals more with how religious a person is,

and less with how a person is religious (in practicing certain rituals,

retelling certain stories, revering certain symbols, or accepting certain

doctrines about deities and afterlife). Behavior is one of the components

of religiosity which consists of cross classifications resulting in six

dimensions. This study however, focuses on religious behavior and

religious participation (Nolan & Lenski, 2010).

Most religions celebrate wholeness for all people, including

children and youth, and most believe that sexuality is a gift of the divine.

Many people of diverse culture, race, and religion believe that, in order

to provide an opportunity for wholeness, we must also provide

information that will enable all people to make life affirming decisions –
5
and this includes providing comprehensive information about sexuality

(Hanson, 2008).

Family Values. According to Planned Parenthood of SW Oregon

(2007) there's all this talk about teaching “values” around sexuality:

sharing family “values”; respecting that the “values” of others may be

different; acting on one's personal “values.” Values are personal truths

upon which we base our life decisions. We may not recall consciously

choosing our values: they just seem to be there, influencing our

attitudes and behaviors. Parents may have little experience defining or

examining their values around sexuality, so attitudes and beliefs may be

passed on without much active discussion. It's important to revisit our

core beliefs from time to time; to clarify, alter if necessary, and reaffirm

what is true for us. This can be scary, since it forces us to examine what

we say we value and what we truly value. It also makes us face how

well our behaviors match our beliefs.

More frequent parental religious attendance is associated with a

delayed timing of first sex among all sub-populations except among

black adolescent. Engaging in family religious activities on a daily basis

is associated with delayed sexual initiation among male and female and

white teens results for contraceptive use differ, however only strong

parental religious beliefs and more frequent participation in family

religious activities are associated with contraceptive use at first sex in a

negative direction among males. This highlights an important dimension

6
of family environments that can help improve reproductive health

outcomes for children however stronger family religiosity does not

translate into improved contraceptive use (Manlove, et.al., 2006).

Perceptions of Sex Education

Private interviews were conducted with 52 parents, using a

structured interview guide based on an online library of John Wiley &

Sons, Inc. (2013). Mothers were seen as the main sex educator for

girls, whereas both parents were seen as sex educators for boys. Sixty

percent of the parents believed that sex education should begin during

the school-age years. Lack of adequate knowledge about their child's

potential for sexual functioning was perceived by all parents. Parents'

responses indicated a need for clinic staff to “open the door” to

discussing sexuality and a need for realistic guidance about their child's

sexual potential.

Relevance. Sex education is needful and necessary for our

young ones. Being mindful of the exposure given to our young ones in

school, in the media and among their peers, sex education teaches our

young ones about sexual intimacy, but also enlightens them on their

reproductive systems, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. It

also exposes them to their gender identity, gender role, family role,

body images, sexual expression (what it entails and how to tame it),

intimacy and the marriage relationship (Realtimer, 2008).

7
 As cited by Dr. E.D. Nakpodia (2012) from Oganwu (2003),

sexual health is an important component of over-all health and well-

being. It is a major positive part of personal health and healthy living

and it follows that “sexual health education or sex education should be

available to all as an important component of health promotion and

services. In order to ensure that youth are equipped with information,

motivation or personal insight and skills to protect their sexual and

reproductive health” it is imperative that schools, in cooperation with

parents, the community, councilors in schools, and also health

professionals, play a major role in sexual health education and

promotion .

Urgency. “There is a climate of urgency about sex education

today because young people are living in the ‘now age’ when the

subject is constantly before them,” said Mrs. Helen F. Southard,

psychologist and author. “Twenty years ago sex education was thought

of as reproductive education that parents gave children at a particular

moment and things were fine. You had told your children the facts of

life. The subject is so constantly before young people that they become

confused about what they should or should not do. Sex has become the

‘big sell’ and part of the big sell is the romance connected with it

(Lackie, 2011).”

Today, there is urgency about sex education. The subject is so

constantly before young people that they become confused about what

8
they should or should not do. Problem faced by young people is the

pressure exerted on them by parents and by society. Social pressures

with emphasis on experimentation and uncertainties about the future

give young people the feeling that “if there is anything that is going to

make me happy, let’s have it now” (Lackie, 2011). Thus, there is an

urgency to pursue the study.

Appropriateness. A website named About Kids Health (2012)

produced an article entitled Sex Education Appropriate for Children

stating that every child is different. A rough guide to what children

should be able to understand about sex and reproduction at different

ages was presented in the said article. Most two-year-olds know the

difference between male and female, and can usually figure out if a

person is male or female. Children should understand the very basics of

reproduction: a man and a woman make a baby together, and the baby

grows in the woman’s uterus. Children aging two to five years old

should understand their body is their own. Teach them about privacy

around body issues. They should know other people can touch them in

some ways but not other ways. Children should have a basic

understanding that some people are heterosexual, homosexual, or

bisexual. They should also know what the role of sexuality is in

relationships.

Children in middle childhood aging six to eight years old should

know about the basic social conventions of privacy, nudity, and respect

9
for others in relationships. They should be taught the basics about

puberty towards the end of this age span, as a number of children will

experience some pubertal development before age 10. Children’s

understanding of human reproduction should continue. This may

include the role of sexual intercourse. In addition to reinforcing all the

things above they have already learned, tweens should be taught about

safer sex and contraception.

Tweens aging nine to 12 years old should understand what

makes a positive relationship and what makes for a bad one. They

should also learn to judge whether depictions of sex and sexuality in the

media are true or false, realistic or not, and whether they are positive or

negative. Teens are generally very private people. However, if

parents have spoken to their child early about sex increases the chance

that teens will approach parents when difficult or dangerous things

come up.

Theoretical Framework

The study has been anchored in the Social Cognitive theory. The

Social Cognitive Theory states that people learn from one another by

observation, imitation and modeling. The theory provides a framework

for understanding, predicting and changing human behavior. It identifies

human behavior as an interaction of: personal factors (e.g., knowledge,

understanding, expectations, attitudes, confidences), behavioral factors

10
(e.g., skills, practice, self-efficacy), and environmental factors (e.g.,

social norms, access in community, influence of others) (2003).

Further, this study is anchored in the theory at the youth (15-24

years) is a stage in the life cycle of a human being

which is most vulnerable to the influences of socializing agents.

Although modern psychologists underscore the importance of early

childhood socialization in the later development of the human

personality (Freud, 1939), social psychologists maintain that the self

and therefore, personality is a social product (Cooley, 1902; Mead,

1934).

Social psychologists like Piaget (1969), basing his theory of

cognitive development on his experiments with children, asserts that an

individual passes through stages of cognitive development as one

matures. He maintains that such cognitive development is achieved

through interaction with the environment. Piaget further asserts that the

content of what is learned at each stage of the development process

depends largely on culture often defined as a people’s way of life.

According to Piaget, it is at this stage that individuals are able to

achieve formal abstract thought, can think in terms of theories and

hypotheses, can manipulate concepts such as those of mathematics or

morality, and can think about personal goals and even deal social

conditions - - a capacity that is often expressed in the idealism of the

youth.

11
12
Conceptual Framework

FAMILY BACKGROUND PERCEPTION OF BACHELOR

OF ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION STUDENTS ON
 Religiosity SEX EDUCATION

 Relevance
 Family Values
 Urgency
 Appropriateness

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

 Sex

 Settlement

 Year level

Fig. 1 Conceptual Framework

13
Definition of Terms

In order to make this study comprehensible to readers and

beneficiaries, the following terms are used operationally:

1. Family Background refers to the religiosity of the family and the

family values of the respondents

2. Perception on Sex Education refers to the relevance, urgency

and appropriateness of sex education

3. Bachelor of Elementary Education Students refers to the

students of the University of Mindanao taking up the degree on

Bachelor of Elementary Education.

14
 Chapter 2

METHOD

Research Design

The research design utilized in this study centers on the

Descriptive Correlation design that looks on the relationships of the

independent variable (family background) and the dependent variable

(perceptions of sex education). Descriptive Correlation method

investigates a range of factors, including the nature of the relationship

between two or more variables and the theoretical model that might be

developed and tested to explain these resultant correlations (Lomax &

Li, 2009).

Research Subject

The main respondents of the study are University of Mindanao

Bachelor of Elementary Education students. A maximum number of 30

respondents will answer the survey questionnaire for the formulation of

quantitative findings and analysis.

Simple random sampling design is the basic sampling method

assumed in this study for statistical method and computations. To

collect, each unit of the target population is assigned a number. A set of

random numbers will then be generated and the units having those

numbers are included in the sample to give individuals equal chances of

being selected.
15
Research Instrument

The research instrument was used to determine and provide

unbiased statistical records of the study. The questionnaire served as

the principal instrument to be used for the entire study. Questions were

created to obtain the necessary data or results.

The research questionnaire to be used in this study was self-

constructed. There are three parts of the survey questionnaire. The

moderating variable or the profile of respondents: 1) Sex 2) Settlement

and 3) Year level. The independent variable includes two indicators

which are 1) Religiosity and 2) Family Values for family background.

The dependent variables of the study focus on the perception of BEEd

students on sex education primarily with three focal points 1) Relevance

2) Urgency and 3) Appropriateness.

In addition, the research instrument is subject to validation with

the expertise of validators. It should be validated to provide appropriate

questions that will cater the need of gaining correct details in answering

the problem presented in the said study.

Data Gathering Procedures

The following steps were undertaken and should be considered in

the light of gathering the data that addresses the problem:

Gathering of Information. Information about the different

Principles, theories and standards of the variables were gathered.

16
 Formulation and Validation of Instrument. The test questionnaire

is formulated and is subject to validation by research adviser.

Asking Permission to conduct the study. The researchers will

write a formal letter with the intentions to conduct the study in the area.

Administration and Retrieval of the Instrument. The research

instrument will be personally distributed by the researchers to the

selected respondents of the study.

Collection of Data and Processing. After the retrieval of the

administered instrument, inspection will soon follow and data should be

tallied and collated and will further undergo statistical processing. This

process is important to find the result of the study.

Analysis and Interpretation of Data. The data to be obtained from

the questionnaires will be collected. Interpretation of the results will take

place and results are the key points to answer the problems presented

in the first chapter.

Statistical Treatment of Data

To quantify the responses and to have an accurate assessment

and interpretation on the data gathered, the responses to the items of

every questionnaire should be manually scored. For validity and

reliability of interpretation of data, statistical tools should be utilized.

17
 Percentage. This tool is used to find the percentage of the items

to see whether family background has an influence to the perceptions of

BEEd students on sex education.

18
 Chapter 3

Results and Discussion

In this chapter, the data which were gathered from the survey

questionnaires were tallied and utilized with the use of percentage. The

sequence of results can be found in this order (1) Profile of respondents

(2) Family background and (3) Perception on Sex education.

Profile of Respondents

Table 1

Profile of respondents
Sex F %
Male 13 43.33
Female 17 56.66
Settlement
within Davao city 14 46.66
outside Davao city 16 53.33
abroad 0 0
Year level
1 7 23.33
2 8 26.66
3 15 50
4 0 0
5 0 0

From March 11 to 15, 2013, the survey was conducted. It was

found that most of the students are female (56.66%) over male

(43.33%). Of these, most are from outside Davao City (53.33%) while

(46.66%) are from Davao city. (50%) are 3rd year students, followed by

2nd year students (26.66%), and 1st year students(23.33%).

19
 Table 2
Family Background
%
Questions Highest Lowest Interpretation
Religiosity
Always pray to show that my
33.33 13.33 Agree
creator is the center of my life.
Go to church once a week or
30.00 16.66 Disagree
more to proclaim my faith.
Believe that sexual love between
man and woman is reserved to 33.33 6.66 Disagree
marriage.
Family Values
Parents are strict with the kind of Moderately
30.00 3.33
friends I hang out with. Agree
Parents are conservative with the
clothes and accessories I wear
30.00 3.33 Disagree
(short skirts for girls, tattoo,
piercing for both girls and guys).
Parents talk about sex education
to teach me lessons of real life 43.33 6.66 Disagree
situations.

Table 2 shows the family background of respondents in terms of

religiosity and family values. It was found that (33.33%) respondents

agree on always praying to show that my creator is the center of their

lives. (30.00%) disagree on going to church once a week or more to

proclaim their faith. Believing that sexual love between man and woman

is reserved to marriage has the percentage of (33.33%), thus, majority

of the respondents disagree.

20
 For family values, most of the respondents (30.00%) disagree

that their parents are strict with the kind of friends they hang out with.

(30.00%) also disagree with the item that their parents are conservative

with the clothes and accessories they wear. Further still in family values,

(43.33%) of the respondents disagree that their parents talk about sex

education to teach them lessons of real life situations.

Table 3
Perception on Sex Education
%
Questions Highest Lowest Interpretation
Relevance
It is important to include sex
Strongly
education in the curriculum I am 36.66 6.66
Disagree
enrolled in.
Sex education is an important
lesson for BEEd students to
30.00 6.66 Agree
effectively teach grade school
students without prejudice.
Sex education is helpful to
elementary students for them to
30.00 6.66 Agree
easily understand the negative
effects of premarital sex.
Urgency
Sex Education programmes and
seminars should be implemented 43.33 10.00 Agree
immediately to BEEd students.
Sex Education is urgently
Moderately
needed to be integrated in high 43.33 6.66
Agree
school curriculum.
Sex Education should be taught
with emphasis to all elementary Moderately
43.33 6.66
students not later than the year Agree
2013.
Appropriateness 63.33 6.66 Disagree

21
 Sex Education should only be
taught to 1st year college
students.
Sex Education should be taught
only by parents or guardians and 46.66 6.66 Disagree
not in school.
Sex Education should be
integrated (mixed) to social
media networks (e.g. television,
33.33 13.33 Agree
radio, Facebook, twitter, video-
streaming websites like
YouTube).

Table 3 shows the perception of respondents in terms of

relevance, urgency, and appropriateness. Respondents strongly

disagree (36.66%) that it is important to include sex education in the

curriculum they are enrolled in. However, (30.00%) agree that sex

education is an important lesson for BEEd students to effectively teach

grade schools students without prejudice and respondents agree

(30.00%) that sex education is helpful to elementary students for them

to easily understand the negative effects of premarital sex.

Respondents agree (43.33%) that sex education programmes

and seminars should be implemented immediately to BEEd students.

Yet, (43.33%) of the respondents moderately agreed that sex education

is urgently needed to be integrated in high school curriculum as well as

(43.33%) teaching sex education with emphasis to all elementary

students not later than the year 2013.

22
 In terms of appropriateness, (63.33%) of the respondents

disagree that sex education should only be taught to 1st year college

students and (46.66%) of the respondents disagree that sex education

should be taught only by the parents or guardians and not in school. In

addition, (33.33%) among BEEd students agreed that sex education

should be integrated to social media networks.

Implications

From the data collected, family background of the respondents

has an influence to their perception on sex education. Relevance,

urgency, and appropriateness of sex education are significantly related

to how respondents are raised by their respective families including

their religiosity and family values. It has also been found out that the

same variables have influenced respondents when grouped according

to their profile in terms of sex, settlement, and year level.

Thus, study shows that BEEd students agree on the integration of

sex education in their lessons for them to effectively teach grade school

students without prejudice and for their future students to understand

the negative effects of premarital sex. Further, it has been shown in the

records that BEEd students believe that integration of sex education in

high school curriculum is urgently necessary to be taught with emphasis

to all elementary students not later than the year 2013. Moreover, BEEd

23
students allows the integration of such topics using social media

networks such as televisions, radio, Facebook, twitter, and video-

streaming websites.

24
 Chapter 4

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

Presented in this chapter are the summary, conclusion and

recommendation of the study in the relationship of family background to

BEEd students’ perception on sex education.

Summary

This study in the relationship of family background to BEEd

students’ perception on sex education with supporting quantitative

results shows that there is a great influence in the perception of

students basically because of their family background. From the

presented literatures and other materials and procedures used by the

researcher, it has been found out that student from University of

Mindanao Bachelor of Elementary Education were greatly affected in

their perception on sex education primarily because of how their family

raise them especially in terms of religiosity and values.

Conclusion

The following conclusions are found to be beneficial in this study:

1. There are more female respondents (56.66%) in the study,

majority is coming from outside Davao city (53.33%) and most number

of respondents is in their 3rd year (50%);

25
 2. Majority of the respondents (30%) agree on the integration

of Sex education in their lessons for them to effectively teach grade

school students for the relevance;

3. Sex education programmes and seminars, integration of

such topics and emphasis to all elementary students is urgently needed

not later than 2013 is necessary (43.33%) with the number of religiosity

and family values for the urgency.

4. Social media networks are part of the sex education

integration efforts of both government and business sectors for its

appropriateness according to their moral values and cultural norms.

Recommendations

The researcher would recommend this study for future use and

most especially to provide the basic idea on the effect of family

background in BEEd students’ perception on sex education in terms of

its relevance to their program, the urgency of the topic to be integrated

in schools, and for the appropriateness of sex education to elementary

students and teachers.

26
 REFERENCES

About Kids Health. (2012). Sex Education Appropriate for Children.pdf

Burt. (2009). sdhflaskjdflk

27
 Questionnaire

This questionnaire is for the purpose of gathering data regarding

the study entitled “FAMILY BACKGROUND AND PERCEPTIONS ON
SEX EDUCATION AMONG BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION STUDENTS”. Rest assured that all answers will be kept
confidential.

I. Profile of Respondent

Instruction: Please check the box provided according to your profile.

a. Sex
 Male
 Female

b. Settlement
 Within Davao City
 Outside Davao City
 Abroad

c. Year level
 1st year
 2nd year
 3rd year
 4th year
 5th year and up

II. Sex Education Survey

Instructions: 1) The questions you will find below need your utmost
honesty and sincere response. It comprises the indicators of the
study in order to generate enough and unbiased information to
measure the level of perception of BEEd students on Sex Education.
Please rate eachitem according to the following scale. 2) Check (  )
the appropriate boxes for your response to the given items.

LEGEND:

5 – Strongly Agree
4 – Agree
3 – Moderately Agree
2 – Disagree
1 – Strongly Disagree
28
A. Family Background 5 4 3 2 1
Religiosity
1. I always pray to show that my creator is the center of my life.
2. I go to church once a week or more to proclaim my faith.
3. I believe that sexual love between man and woman is
reserved to marriage.
Family Values
1. My parents are strict with the kind of friends I hang out with.
2. My parents are conservative with the clothes and accessories
I wear (short skirts for girls, tattoo, piercing for both girls and
guys).
3. My parents talk about sex education to teach me lessons of
real life situations.
B. Perception on Sex Education 5 4 3 2 1
Relevance
1. It is important to include Sex Education in the curriculum I am
enrolled in.
2. Sex Education is an important lesson for BEEd students to
effectively teach grade school students without prejudice (bias
judgment on the topic).
3. Sex Education is helpful to elementary students for them to
easily understand the negative effects of premarital sex.
Urgency 5 4 3 2 1
1. Sex Education programmes and seminars should be
implemented immediately to BEEd students.
2. Sex Education is urgently needed to be integrated in high
school curriculum.
3. Sex Education should be taught with emphasis to all
elementary students not later than the year 2013.
Appropriateness 5 4 3 2 1

1. Sex Education should only be taught to 1st year college

students.
2. Sex Education should be taught only by parents or guardians
and not in school.
3. Sex Education should be integrated (mixed) to social media
networks (e.g. television, radio, facebook, twitter, video-
streaming websites like YouTube).

29