This paper describes the methods used in the evaluation of sex education programs and then examines the impact of programs upon knowledge attitudes and behavior. The most common method of analyzing the effects of sex education program utilizes the experimental design. The sex education class is considered the experimental group; some other class or group of students is considered the control group. Studies using this design have 2 major strenghts: by comparing the change in scores of the control group and the experimental group various types of errors can be eliminated or controlled; and when students take a pretest complete the course and then take the posttest this resembles their normal testing routine and appears natural. Yet these experimental studies contain several weaknesses which limit the validity of their conclusions or generalizations: most of the studies evaluate single programs which have not been randomly selected; evaluators are rarely able to randomly assign students to experimental and control groups; very few of the studies measure longterm effects of the course; questionnaires or measuring instruments are often poorly designed; and many studies report the statistical significance of the findings but few provide good indicators for the magnitude of change. A second but less common method of analyzing the effects of sex education programs employ a survey design. Surveys cannot easily control for all other confounding factors such as normal maturation process. Moreover past surveys have failed to ask sufficient questions about the sex education sources for the researchers to know how much sex education was actually taught. Thus few surveys are discussed in this article. Numerous studies of both high school and college classes have used experimental designs to measure the impact of sex education courses upon the knowledge of the students. Their findings are nearly unanimous -- instruction in sex education does substantially increase knowledge of sexuality. The studies of high school programs indicate that sexuality courses so increase the tolerance of the students attitudes toward the sexual practices of others. A few studies also indicate that the students become somewhat more comfortable with masturbation for themselves as a result of the course. The beliefs that students have about their own sexual behavior with others do not appear to change. Thus the concern that sex education in high school will make students less moral is not substantiated by the literature. The studies of college students strongly indicate that some college sexuality courses do increase tolerance or acceptance of different types of sexual behavior both for self and especially for others. The studies of college classes indicate that they do not affect sexual behavior. The studies fail to support sex education proponents who believe classes may reduce sexual behavior. They do indicate that units on contraception will increase the use of more effective contraceptives and decrease sexual activity with poor or no contraception.

The effects of school sex education programs: a review of the literature.

This paper reports on the organization, delivery, and part of the evaluation of a three-year community project in sex education for parents. The proJect was based on the philosophy that parents are the main sex educators of their children, whether they do it well or badly. The aim of the project was to defuse common myths that hinder communication about sexuality in order to help parents become more effective sex educators of their own children. Over 1,000 parents participated in programs offered by 70 community leaders trained through the proJect. Over 80% of the leaders intend to offer additional programs in order to meet the requests of parents. Recommendations for curriculum and structure of such programs are discussed.

A Community Sex Education Program For Parents.

A review of literature on self-esteem and its role in health education raises questions about the extent to which health education can influence student self-esteem through direct and indirect instruction. This article operationally defines self-esteem, discusses the role of health education in developing self-esteem through direct and indirect instruction, interprets evidence that self-esteem is affected by health education curricula, and discusses challenges facing health educators in curriculum development, instruction, and evaluation of self-esteem as a realistic component of health education curricula.

Self-esteem and health instruction: challenges for curriculum development.

Chairman: THE EMPIRICAL DEVELOPMENT OP A BHEPARATIOW-POR-MAKRIAGE CURRICULUM FOR TWEUPTB-GRADE STUDESTS

The Empirical Development of a Preparation for Marriage Curriculum for Twelfth-Grade Students

Intervention Strategies for Promoting Self-Concept Development:

A study of family life education was carried out in order to deternine if the attitudes held by adolescents, especially toward themselves and toward their families, could be changed in a positive direction as a result of participation in a one-semester course in family life education. Three directional hypotheses were tested. The experimental groups and the control groups were tested at the beginning and at the end of the semester. The results of the study suggest that an adolescent's feelings about himself can be improved, thus contributing to increased self-acceptance and a more positive self-image.

John F. Crosby

Papers

The Effect of Family Life Education on the Values and Attitudes of Adolescents.