A Meta-analysis of selected K through 12 sexuality education studies

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of selected sexuality education studies/research in order to determine the validity of findings/conclusions relative to programs' effects on knowledge, attitudes, and practices pertaining to human sexuality. Specifically, the study sought to determine: 1) the overall effect-size of sexuality education studies, 2) the overall effect-size of knowledge in sexuality education studies, 3) the overall effect-size of attitudes in sexuality education, and 4) the overall effect-size of behavior in sexuality education. An examination between selected program characteristics and outcomes was also conducted. The unit of analysis in this project was sexuality education studies that had been completed during the years 1966-1993 that met the following criteria: 1) used quantitative outcome measurements, 2) included a treatment and control or comparison group, 3) age level inclusive of K through twelve, 4) specific program goals and cognitive, affective or action learning objectives, and 5) implemented in the United States. A total of 144 studies were examined of which 13 (9%) met the criteria for selection and were included in the analysis. All the studies were conducted between 1976 and 1992. Eight studies (62%) came from published journals and 5 (38%) came from unpublished dissertations. The average effect-size for dissertations was .55, while the average effect size for journal articles was .51. A t-test showed no significant difference between the effect-sizes for journals and dissertations (t= -.21, p=.84). The analysis of all the studies resulted in a total of 41 effect-sizes. These included 16 effect-sizes for knowledge, 18 effect-sizes for attitudes and 7 effect-sizes for behavior. The results of the effect-sizes were combined to create an overall effect-size of sexuality education studies. The most commonly measured outcome measure from the 13 sexuality education studies was attitudes (n=18). The second highest measure was knowledge (n=16), and behavior (n=7) being the least frequently measured. The largest effect-size average was knowledge (effect-size = .846). Total effect-sizes for knowledge ranged from .065 to 3.105. The effect-size for behavior was the second highest (effect-size = .652). The range of effect-sizes for the behavior outcome measures ranged from -.191 to 1.426. The effect-size average for outcome measures for attitudes represented the lowest effect-size measure (effect-size = .303) with a range from .017 to 1.29. The overall effect-size for sexuality education programs was .53. Like earlier narrative reviews, this meta-analysis found that increased knowledge and positive attitude changes were the most frequently reported achievements of sexuality education; changes in behavior were not reported as readily. However, the findings provide an indication of the magnitude of given outcomes, not just the frequency of studies which report significant or non significant results