About GDHR

Sexual health is a topic that teachers are frequently required to teach. Sexuality Education is often called Sexual Health or Relationships Education. Some teachers feel comfortable teaching Sexuality Education and view it as a priority whilst others may feel uncomfortable or insufficiently prepared to teach it.

A priority of the Department of Health, Western Australia (WA Health) is to work with the school education sector to promote and support the conduct of quality sexuality education. WA Health regards teachers and schools to be fundamental partners in providing sound and adequate sexuality education to prepare and equip young people with the knowledge and confidence to enjoy happy and healthy relationships.

GDHR is a partnership between the WA Departments of Health and Education, and is supported by the Association of Independent Schools of WA.

The curriculum support materials were first released in 2002 to all schools in Western Australia. These materials approach relationship education in a positive way and are consistent with the WA Curriculum Framework.

In 2010 the interactive GDHR website was launched. This site provides a range of age-appropriate learning activities and advice to assist teachers to plan and deliver quality sexual health education programs including:
• K-10 learning activities menu aligned to the K-10 syllabus
• Online question box to support teachers
• Background information and teaching notes
• Resources including illustrations, fact sheets, links, etc.
• Multimedia: virtual tour, video clips, quizzes, e-newsletter and podcasts.

The design and content of this website is based upon the original three booklet resources: Growing and Developing Healthy Relationships: Curriculum Support Materials.
The GDHR website reflects the ‘next generation’ of the original resource and operates as an online support for educators with a fresh new look and presentation as well as expanded and updated content. It has been comprehensively developed in conjunction with teachers, parents and students.

The GDHR website is commended as an excellent resource for educators and school communities to use as part of a comprehensive health education program.
The Health Promoting Schools Framework (World Health Organisation, 1986) is widely recognised as a best practice model of promoting health within a school community. This framework suggests that positive health outcomes are much more likely when classroom health education is complemented and reinforced by a supportive school environment and effective links to family and the community.

An online tour of the site can be found on the homepage.

Evidence

Evidence suggests that implementation of a comprehensive skills-based Sexuality Education school program can delay sexual debut and reduce sexual risk-taking behaviour, as well as other high risk behaviours such as drug use.

Guiding principles for the provision and practice of sexual health education (WA Health)
Research shows that to be effective, Sexuality Education needs to be supported by developmentally appropriate curriculum resources and delivered by teachers who have had the opportunity to undertake professional learning in this domain. Teachers who are not adequately trained in sexuality education may have difficulties in dealing with cultural and social attitudes, beliefs and values about sexual health. A supportive school community and policy environment that is inclusive of parents enhances the successful delivery of sexuality education programs. The Principles therefore seek to provide a framework or approach which will assist in the development and delivery of effective sexual health education. 

Origin of GDHR

In 2002, WA Health funded the development, implementation and distribution of quality hard-copy resources for teachers called the Growing and Developing Healthy Relationships: Curriculum Support Materials (GDHR), for students K-10. Since then, corresponding face-to-face professional development (PD) courses for teachers in metropolitan, rural and remote areas in WA has also been funded by WA Health.

Evaluation

Audit
In 2005, an audit was commissioned to determine if the distribution of the GDHR materials was having any impact on the provision of sexual health education in schools.

Key findings:
The audit suggests that the distribution of the GDHR materials did have a positive impact on the way sexual health education is being conducted in schools in Western Australia.

• In 74% of schools that responded to the audit, at least one representative was aware of the GDHR materials.
• In 44% of schools that responded to the audit, teachers were using the GDHR Curriculum Support Materials.
• Schools who had sent a representative on a professional development training course were TWICE as likely to use the GDHR materials.

Impact Evaluation
In 2008, WA Health contracted Estill and Associates to review the impact on the teaching and work practices of those teachers and community health nurses in schools who participated in the professional development (PD) courses in sexual health education and the use of the GDHR resource.

Key findings:
The majority of participants agreed that the impact of the professional development course on their teaching had been positive. They agreed that:

• they have had an opportunity to implement the skills and knowledge they gained through the course and
• the course increased confidence and helped to make them feel comfortable teaching skills and specific sexual health knowledge.

Participants in the study greatly valued their experience in the PD course, consistently rating their experience as positive and rewarding and gaining long term positive impact on their teaching practice.

Professional development

The evaluation recommended the use of a combination of three flexible learning PD categories.

1. traditional (face-to-face workshops),
2. technology (online or computer based courses)
3. collegial relationships and work roles (mentoring support/discussion groups).