Assessing young people’s learning needs related to sexuality and relationships on the Maltese Islands

This research explored young people’s learning needs related to sexuality and relationships within<br/>the current rapidly changing social, cultural and religious context of the Maltese Islands. It also<br/>explored the challenges, opportunities and alternative means by which these needs can be met. A<br/>definitional matrix for needs assessment that adopts a sociological perspective to people’s needs,<br/>which is widely used in health promotion, was employed. This thesis was framed around the<br/>underlying principles of youth involvement, participation and empowerment, and thus emphasised<br/>young people’s own perspective of their learning needs.<br/><br/>The mixed-methodology approach was adopted in this research. The first stage of investigation<br/>sought to achieve an overview of sexual behaviour and knowledge among young Maltese people<br/>aged 14 - 16 attending secondary schools. A stratified random sample of 1310 pupils (68% response<br/>rate) provided a first-ever snapshot of young people’s sexual behaviour in Malta. The second stage<br/>sought to explore young people’s felt and expressed learning needs within and outside the school<br/>setting by way of sixteen focus groups involving another 166 pupils.<br/><br/>Findings suggest a relatively low rate of pupils who would have practiced sexual intercourse by<br/>school-leaving age in Malta (12.3%). Mean age at first intercourse seems similar to that of other<br/>European countries (14 years) for both genders. Only a fifth used condoms every time they had sex.<br/>Knowledge of STIs was scant. The pupils were more informed about HIV. Girls were more<br/>knowledgeable. Boys had sex with more sexual partners. No gender differences were noted in<br/>substance abuse with sex. Discussions among pupils revealed a high degree of perceived unmet<br/>learning need. Participants valued highly learning about sexuality but thought it received much less<br/>attention than their other academic learning needs. Disparities between schools were evidenced.<br/>Learning was sporadic and uncoordinated with conflicting messages from different teachers. Often<br/>sessions started timely to pupils’ needs, but ended prematurely. Learning from parents was scanty<br/>and associated with the overall relationship and bonding between parents and the child. Gaps were<br/>noted between perceived ideal sources (teachers, parents and visiting speakers) and actual /<br/>preferred sources (friends and the media). Needs were perceived in relation to the content and<br/>timing of learning, sources of knowledge, learning styles and resources. Maltese pupils had diverse<br/>values and called for a variety of approaches.<br/><br/>Recommendations were made for a national sexuality education policy to standardize the<br/>framework of sexuality education among Maltese schools; more initial teacher training and inservice<br/>training in sexuality education to meet the needs of a diverse group of adolescents through<br/>various approaches; more collaboration among teachers within schools; parenting skills and lifelong<br/>learning opportunities for parents; more active involvement of adolescents and a wider<br/>consultation with schools and families in the evaluation of sexuality education.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Ph.D.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Southampton

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Bugeja, Roderick

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Weare, Katherine