Teachers’ perceptions of Comprehensive Sexuality Education implementation in South African schools: practice, context and constraints

Abstract

Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) has been promoted internationally as a key means to address challenges related to HIV, adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence. This article examines teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of this kind of approach in South African schools. Drawing on findings from a survey of 184 teachers, it analyses teacher-reported experiences of implementation, including delivery in classrooms and their perceived effects on learner wellbeing, classroom practice and support interventions. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory provided the analytical lens adopted in the study, situating these experiences within interacting school and community contexts. Teachers reported increased confidence in delivering sexuality education, greater use of learner-centred pedagogies, and improved classroom engagement, alongside perceived gains in learners’ knowledge and behaviour related to sexual and reproductive health. However, implementation was uneven and constrained by limited parental engagement, resource constraints and resistance to aspects of the curriculum. The study points to the need for sustained teacher support, stronger alignment between schools and communities, and improved coordination across sectors.