Mafi, Fatemeh;
(2023)
Is sexualities and relationships education feasible in Iranian schools? An in-depth examination of selected stakeholders’ perspectives and the vital role of values in sexualities and relationships education.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Although there are arguments in the existing literature in favour of school sexualities and relationships education (SRE) programmes in Iran, their practical implementation faces significant challenges. These challenges mainly seem to stem from a presumed lack of harmony between what is presented in SRE programmes commonly developed in and informed by Western values and the values esteemed by Iranians regarding sexualities and relationships. This thesis, therefore, investigates Iranians’ values surrounding sexualities and relationships and assesses how feasible the notion of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is in Iran. In this research, views about SRE and the values related to sexualities and relationships in Iran are principally studied by collecting data through individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with parents, classroom teachers and headteachers in schools, with supplementary data coming from online large group discussions with younger individuals, documentary analysis, and observations. Critical realism, thematic analysis, and grounded theory were used for data analysis. Critical realism provided the overarching framework, while thematic analysis helped identify patterns. Grounded theory enhanced the coding process and revealed connections between codes. Critical realism’s notion of Four-Planar Social Being was employed as a framework to explore values related to sexualities and relationships across different dimensions of human existence, i.e., students’ bodies, their interpersonal relationships, social structures, and interviewees’ inner being. Following this, an analysis was conducted to explore the most appropriate ways of delivering SRE as perceived by the interviewees. After data analysis, it became possible to discuss how feasible the notion of SRE is in a way that recognises local views and respects values that are esteemed in Iran. It seems that while CSE, as advocated by UNESCO, might not be entirely applicable to Iranian schools, implementing SRE programmes that draw on some aspects of CSE but are also informed by local values might be achievable.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Is sexualities and relationships education feasible in Iranian schools? An in-depth examination of selected stakeholders’ perspectives and the vital role of values in sexualities and relationships education. |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2023. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10183296 |
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Loading...Loading...| 1. |  United States | 17 |
| 2. |  United Kingdom | 15 |
| 3. |  France | 5 |
| 4. |  Germany | 4 |
| 5. |  Iran, Islamic Republic of | 3 |
| 6. |  Australia | 2 |
| 7. |  Canada | 2 |
| 8. |  India | 2 |
| 9. |  South Africa | 2 |
| 10. |  Greece | 2 |
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