Effects of a life skills-based sexuality education program on Korean early adolescents

Abstract

We verified the effectiveness of a life skills-based sexuality education program that involved applying learner-centered principles among South Korean upper elementary grade students. We developed an 8-session program to improve sexuality knowledge and the sexual behaviors of adolescents through gaining practical skills applicable to daily life. Participants were 68 students at a school located in Seoul and we analyzed their data using a 1-sample t test to determine the effectiveness of the proposed intervention program. The results showed that the proposed program increased the sexuality knowledge and interpersonal skills of the adolescents; however, the improvement in sexual attitude was not statistically significant. This study is significant as the program is the first life skills-based sexuality education course developed for use with elementary school students in Korea. Our program could be used in developing a learner-centered sexuality education program applicable to real-life situations.