Abstract
D.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
In the Republic of South Africa, there is a growing consciousness
of the importance of sex education, and specifically
of relationship education, for the youth. Research
indicates that the peer group and the media are the main
sources of information regarding heterosexual relationships.
That these sources are not very reliable, is indicated by
the fact that South Africa has the highest rate of teenage
pregnancies (among all population groups) in the world. The additional threat of AIDS has shifted the responsibility for
guidance regarding heterosexual relationships increasingly
towards institutions of education, such as schools, colleges
and universities. Bearing this in mind, it stands to reason
that student teachers should be equipped with the necessary
knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding heterosexual relationships.
This would not only aid their personal growth,
but would be of immense value to them as teachers.
The problem is that up to now only a few Colleges of Education
in the R.S.A. have been offering limited training in
family education. No college, however, offers a course exclusively
directed to student teachers' own heterosexual
relationships.
Research was therefore undertaken to investigate the attitudes
of student teachers in respect of those facets of
heterosexual relationships which featured prominently in the
literature studied, namely self concept, sexuality, sex
roles, empathy and communication.
The empirical component of the investigation was based on
the implementation of a questionnaire, which was completed
by all the students of an Afrikaans medium College of Education.