Effects of Applying Active Learning Techniques in Sexuality Education and Reproductive Health Course on Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes of Undergraduate Students

Abstract

               This quasi-experimental research determined the effects of applying active learning techniques in Sexuality Education and Reproductive Health course on sexual knowledge and attitudes of the undergraduate students in the university located in the central region of Thailand. Fifty-three participants were included. The questionnaires were used for determining the levels of correct sexual knowledge and attitudes, whereby the content validity of all questions was 0.5 or higher, and the reliability were 0.77 and 0.87, respectively. The data were analyzed by statistics, including percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, Paired t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient at the significant level of 0.05.

               The results showed that the gender and educational levels when the participants first received sexuality education were the factors that significantly associated with the levels of sexual attitudes at p=0.030 and 0.021, respectively. Moreover, when comparing between before and after taking the course, the active learning techniques applied in this research could significantly increase the participants’ sexual knowledge at p<0.001, but not the participants’ sexual attitudes (p=0.067). Furthermore, the knowledge was found to have no association with sexual attitudes both before and after taking the course (r=0.168 and 0.095, respectively). This can be summarized that active learning technique applied in this research could effectively increase the levels of sexual knowledge, but not sexual attitudes, and the process for reflective thinking should be applied to promote the correct attitudes accordingly.