Revista Electrónica Educare (Educare Electronic Journal) EISSN: 1409-4258 Vol. 27(1) ENERO-ABRIL, 2023
doi: https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.27-1.14293
https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/educare
educare@una.ac.cr
[Cierre de edición el 01 de Enero del 2023]
Education in Sexuality and Equality: Needs in the Initial Training of Teachers in Spain
Educación en sexualidad e igualdad: Necesidades en la formación inicial del profesorado en España
Educação em sexualidade e igualdade: Necessidades no treinamento inicial dos professores na Espanha
María Teresa Bejarano-Franco
Universidad de Castilla La Mancha
Ciudad Real, España
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1792-5072
Irene Martínez-Martín
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Madrid, España.
irene.martinez.martin@edu.ucm.es
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9131-9057
Montserrat Blanco-García
Universidad de Castilla La Mancha
Ciudad Real, España
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7752-3828
Recibido • Received • Recebido: 03 / 08 / 2020
Corregido • Revised • Revisado: 25 / 10 / 2022
Aceptado • Accepted • Aprovado: 14 / 11 / 2022
Abstract:
Introduction. Sexuality and equality education are considered areas of relevant pedagogical research and intervention within current educational contexts in view of the violence and inequalities derived from the patriarchal system. Aims. This paper presents the main results of a research study that seeks to analyze the competence in sexuality and equality of university students during teacher training in Spain (Castilla la Mancha University). Method. For this, the study used a quantitative methodology and administered a nine-dimension questionnaire to 371 students. Results. The study revealed the weak acquisition of competence in sexuality and equality and the persistence of stereotyped images of sexualities. Furthermore, these findings show that future teachers have a weak equality-based professional practice due to an educational approach that lacks a gender perspective. Conclusions. The main conclusions highlight the evident formative needs in sexuality and equality and the absence of transforming feminist knowledge. All this can affect the development of quality education in sexuality and equality in students’ future educational practices.
Keywords: Education; sexuality; equality; teacher training; feminism.
Resumen:
Introducción. La educación en sexualidad e igualdad es considerada un ámbito de investigación e intervención pedagógica relevante y necesaria dentro de los contextos educativos actuales frente a las violencias y desigualdades derivadas del sistema patriarcal. Objetivo. El objetivo de este texto se centra en analizar la competencia en sexualidad e igualdad del estudiantado universitario de Centros de Formación del Profesorado Universitarios en España, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha (UCLM). Metodología. El enfoque metodológico ha sido cuantitativo y de corte exploratorio mediante la aplicación de un cuestionario a 371 estudiantes con nueve dimensiones diseñado ad hoc para el estudio desarrollado. Resultados. Entre los principales resultados, aparece una débil adquisición de la competencia en sexualidad e igualdad en alumnado en formación docente, también la persistencia de imaginarios estereotipados en torno a las sexualidades; falta de conocimiento científico básico sobre los procesos sexuales biológicos o la confusión que el alumnado encuestado tiene sobre conceptos como la identidad y orientación sexual. De estos hallazgos se advierte, en el futuro personal docente, una práctica profesional débil basada en el principio de igualdad a consecuencia de enfoques educativos carentes de perspectiva de género. Conclusiones. En la discusión propuesta, destacan las necesidades formativas que se evidencian en los ámbitos de la sexualidad e igualdad en la formación inicial explorada, y las consecuencias negativas que se derivan de la ausencia de conocimientos pedagógicos feministas en los actuales planes de estudio docentes para suplir la falta competencias profesionales en sexualidad e igualdad y llevar a cabo futuras prácticas educativas aplicando la perspectiva de género.
Palabras claves: Educación; sexualidad; igualdad; formación de profesorado; feminismo.
Resumo:
Introdução. A educação em sexualidade e igualdade é considerada uma área relevante e necessária de pesquisa e intervenção pedagógica nos atuais contextos educacionais contra a violência e as desigualdades derivadas do sistema patriarcal. Objetivos. São apresentados os principais resultados de uma investigação que busca analisar a competência em sexualidade e igualdade de estudantes universitários dos Centros de Formação de Professores Universitários da Espanha (Universidad de Castilla la Mancha). Método. Para isso, seguiu-se uma metodologia quantitativa exploratória, aplicando um questionário com nove dimensões a 371 estudantes. Resultados. Os resultados revelam: fraca aquisição de competência em sexualidade e igualdade, e persistência do imaginário estereotipado em torno das sexualidades. A partir desses achados, nota-se, nos futuros docentes, uma fraca prática profissional baseada no princípio da igualdade como resultado de abordagens educativas sem perspectiva de gênero. Conclusões. Como principais conclusões, destacam-se as necessidades de treinamento evidentes nos campos da sexualidade e da igualdade, juntamente com a ausência de conhecimento feminista transformador. Tudo isso pode ter um impacto no desenvolvimento de uma educação de qualidade em sexualidade e igualdade nas práticas educacionais futuras dos estudantes.
Palavras-chave: Educação; sexualidade; igualdade; formação de professores; feminismo.
Study Framework and Background
Various research studies in the Spanish context reveal a lack of university instruction on education in sexuality and equality among future education professionals (Blázquez Vilaplana, 2016). The principle of gender equality in the education system in Spain has been incorporated from the time of the educational laws of the democratic period to the present, in an essentially stable way, but without establishing a norm of an obligatory nature. Within the framework of the, it is evident that in the University Centres for Teacher Training (UCTT), issues of sexuality and equality appear underrepresented in the subjects of study.
These questions contextualise the research that supports this article, which is focused on exploring the extent of future education professionals’ knowledge in relation to competence in education in sexuality and equality (the research project, Education in equality and sexuality in the initial training of teachers and social educators in Castilla la Mancha University, was funded by the Women’s Institute of Castilla la Mancha, 2017-2018).
Theoretical Perspective: Feminist Pedagogies in Teacher Training
The formal educational processes involved in the initial training of teachers constitute a fundamental pillar in the transformation of gender and sexuality inequalities (Aguilar, 2015). showed the value of education as an appropriate process for the exercise of freedom and for challenging traditional power. We identify patriarchy as a sign of traditional ideological power installed in educational processes, becoming present in the curriculum through pedagogical markers Such markers must be combatted through feminist pedagogies that place their bets on scientific knowledge and knowledge empowered from a gender perspective These pedagogies are a tool of scientific transformation, deconstructing the traditional pedagogical approaches on which the training of teachers continues to rest focus on the normalisation of disciplinary and efficiency-oriented approaches with respect to equality and sexuality.
We share the vision of Stolze, & Ramírez (2015), pointing out that teacher training is constructed as a field of action from political, ideological, epistemological, sociological, anthropological, and pedagogical standpoints, among others. All of this has repercussions on the training curriculum for future professionals, which refuses to incorporate a comprehensive discourse on equality and sexuality. Different authors (Bragg et al., 2018) warn about the need to treat sexuality and equality as an area of scientific study and to transform the current academic thought systems. More so, in the Social Sciencies where new forms of inquiry emerge that reveal different forms of inequality dominated by the androcentric paradigms (Jenkins et al., 2019).
Competence in sexuality and equality
Within this framework, we must ask ourselves, is teacher training responding to the sexual needs arising from the educational socialisation that is rooted in a binary gender-sex system and that gives rise to sexual violence against women under the prism of patriarchy? We agree with Jolly et al. (2013) in stating that sexuality is a cultural construction around the dominant normativities; that is, we construct ourselves and we think of, and read ourselves as men and women based on masculinity to dominate and femininity hegemonic (Paechter, 2018).
It is necessary to visualise and educate students about non-normative sexual diversity as another element of the human species (Pichardo Galán, & de Stéfano Barbero, 2015), under the paradigm of equality, to build alternative and feminist educational narratives. In this vein, Bakare-Yusuf (2013) discusses the importance of making visible the kinds of stories we tell about our sexual lives. It is important to tell positive stories of women living their sexuality in freedom. These stories help to reappropriate sexuality, empower and rebrand women’s (and men’s) sexuality beyond violence, myths and stereotypes.
Sexuality encompasses many facets and dimensions of a human being (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2014), which is why these facets and dimensions must be developed and made visible through educational processes. We would be talking about sexual education. However, this education would not be effective if it were not governed by the principle of equality or by an education in equality, which is the same thing, and which ensures a process of social transformation aiming at coexistence between the sexes, distant from the oppression of women and those with other non-generic sexual identities. Its main objective is to strive for a relationship of justice and respect between human beings and to ensure integral development and effective equality of opportunities between men and women, as well as with those of other sexual identities.
Teacher training. Towards a teaching profile for an education in sexuality and equality
According to studies (Santos Guerra, 2015), the teaching staff at various educational stages in the Spanish context is not educated scientifically on topics related to the feminism; therefore, there is a high risk of invisibility regarding the treatment of knowledge related to violence and multidimensional sexuality. From the feminist pedagogies, we seek to break with this invisibilisation and integrate sexuality and the principle of thematic equality into a curricular space of its own that occupies the agendas of educational policy. Therefore, we propose a regimen of teacher training focusing on: How differences are interpreted in the political project of a society for its citizens. This has important consequences for the definition we make of the curriculum, of knowledge and of the ethical proposal of an education that has curricular justice as its epicentre (Rodríguez Martínez, 2010).
As indicated by Engebretson (2016), it is common for teachers to show interest in addressing content regarding sexuality and equality, but they take individual will as their starting point. We conceive of teaching as a transforming profession, which requires teachers who are committed activists and critics. In this sense, we give priority to their training to perceive the inequalities caused by the patriarchal and androcentric society in which we live, and to exhibit good professional practices focused on equality of gender, where sexualities intervene (Bejarano Franco, & Marí Ytarte, 2019). However, teaching identities are acquired not only in university studies, but also in students’ previous experiences in their respective sociocultural and educational contexts (Siderac, 2015). It is necessary to know how subjectivities and knowledge are learned based on previous institutional formation; basic scientific knowledge about sexuality; sexual behaviours; the motivation towards one’s own body and that of others; the risks in sexual relationships; sexual identity and orientation; sexual violence; and beliefs about sexuality. All these elements constitute the substratum of university learning about sexuality and equality and are articulated in the exercise of teaching (Cortés González et al., 2014).
These subjectivities and types of knowledge are part of what the authors who have been cited consider essential for working on questions of sexuality and equality, and they make up the dimensions of competence that we analyse in this research. Addressing this competence issue in teaching identity will make possible feminist didactic processes in which the deconstruction of the patriarchal impositions that persist today can take place (Fumero et al., 2017).
Methods and Instruments
For the collection of data on competence in sexuality and equality, a quantitative approach, based on the application of a questionnaire structured in nine dimensions, was taken. Tamayo, & Tamayo (2003) defines the questionnaire as a format in which data can be produced in a systematic way and recorded uniformly. It offers a clear and objective view of the facts and groups the data according to specific needs.
The questionnaire was utilized with the purpose of discovering future professionals’ knowledge regarding competence in sexuality and equality during the period of initial professional training. It is a generic instrument, designed at the Higher Education School (Escola Superior de Educação) in Coimbra, Portugal, for previous research (Veiga et al., 2006) in the Portuguese context and it was applied by the GIES Group considering the similarities of socio-educational contexts between both countries. The validation of the questionnaire was previously carried out for the Portuguese study with 10 similar students, not included in the main study. In Spain, the trust level was estimated to be 95.5%, according to the application of Cronbach’s alpha, assuming a sampling error of 5% and using p=q=0.50 as the population variance estimator. However, we consider that it would have been appropriate to have carried out a more detailed factorial validity study of the instrument.
Subsequently, its content validity was determined, based on the judgment of 10 experts. García Valdés, & Suárez Marín (2013) defined experts as people whose training and prior experience has allowed them to achieve mastery of an area of content that exceeds the average level of their peers, and who are willing to present their opinions and judgments about the question to be used as conclusions. The contributions were focused on clarifying the wording of some of the items in the dimensions to be explored.
It is considered a tool to support professionals in the context of promoting competence in sexuality and equality. Following theoretical review, it was determined that this instrument was appropriate for use in the Spanish Teacher Training Centres, once the language had been adapted.
Said questionnaire consists of the following dimensions: 1st. Personal information; 2nd. Institutional training; 3rd. Basic scientific knowledge; 4th. Sexual behaviour; 5th. Motivation for sexual relations; 6th. HIV/AIDS; 7th. Identity and sexual orientation; 8th. Sexual violence; and 9th. Beliefs about sexuality. Each dimension was represented by a bank of multiple-choice questions, 57 in all, observing the criteria of relevance, coherence, and adaptation and clarity, in accordance with the main goal of the research (McMillan, & Schumacher, 2005).
These dimensions of the questionnaire respond to the research objectives. The questions addressed in each of them were previously determined by the Portuguese research team, considering the recommendations of international organisations and the specialised scientific literature on each dimension. We reviewed the references that the Portuguese study (Veiga et al., 2006) recorded, and we carried out a monitoring on more updated literature, finding no major changes that could eliminate the items included in each dimension.
The limitations of the study stem from the students’ own perceptions, who answer the dimensions of the questionnaire from a subjective position mediated by their previous experiences, their previous educational background, and/or their beliefs about sexuality issues and violence. These answers may not coincide with what they actually do in their daily actions or how they will act in classroom situations where the principle of equality is compromised.
Sample
The study sample was taken from five UCTT of the Castilla la Mancha University and is composed of 371 people, senior students with a generalist profile.
The first dimension of sampling data describes the university sample of degree-awarding institutions in the field of education, which are characterised by high feminisation and youth. Three quarters of the responses (78%) come from female students, and in nine out of ten instances (88.4%), the respondent was 25 years old or younger.
A stratified non-randomised multistage sampling design was used, taking the five Teacher Training Centres as clusters. For each centre, quotas for setting the sample size were established, according to the number of students in each of them and their distribution in terms of sex and age.
In the process of gathering the data, 12 teachers from the various centres participated, who were experts in sexuality and equality issues, as well as members of the GIES group.
Analysis procedure
A quantitative approach was taken, using a descriptive analysis by basic frequencies that provides information on the characteristics of knowledge and preferences in sexuality and equality that the students in the survey had of each dimension of the questionnaire. The description of the data is, therefore, sought through an exploratory analysis to construct explanatory models within each of the dimensions and of each component. This procedure was performed using the IBM SPSS program, version 19.
When crossing the data with the variables of ‘sex’ and ‘age’, it was observed that there were no significant disparities (due to the homogeneous characteristics of the sample) in the descriptive analysis; thus, the data are presented without this variability. In the case of the variable ‘couple’, it stands out among the dimensions where there are significant differences.
Data Analysis and Results
It should be noted that all the dimensions, starting with the second, describe fundamental aspects of the competence in sexuality and equality education exposed in the theoretical framework of this article. We present a descriptive analysis, in depth, of each of the dimensions of the questionnaire related to competence of sexuality and equality:
Institutional training
In this dimension, students were asked if they had received academic training in sexual education and if they felt ready to impart it in their future professional contexts.
The student body participating in the research claims to have received training on sexuality during the high school stage (46.2%). The contribution that this training has made to personal development is recognised by 40% of the students surveyed. Only 4.3% of responses indicate having received sexual education at all educational levels. More than half of the sample (53%) say they are not ready to provide sexual education at educational institutions. The reasons they indicate are related to:
• not having acquired knowledge about sexuality in the academic context (primary and secondary school) (44.6%);
• the lack of didactic scientific knowledge at the university stage (33.1%);
• doubts about the preparation of the teaching staff at educational institutions (44.4%);
• fear of the reaction of others (31.7%) when working in educational institutions.
There is a majority conviction (80%), when asked about the suitability of including sexual education in the teacher training curriculum and the responsibility of the educational centres for the teaching of these topics, that there is a need for schools, from the primary level onwards, to include sexual education in the curriculum (62.9%).
Basic scientific knowledge
In this dimension, the respondents were asked about basic information related to genital organs and biological sexual processes. The percentage of valid answers regarding the name of the masculine sexual organ was 95.5%; however, it should be noted that only 47.8% responded correctly regarding the name of the female external sexual organ. In relation to the feminine menstrual cycle, unequal knowledge can be seen within a context of ignorance. Only 27.7% of respondents knew when female ovulation occurs. Confusion could also be seen when the participants were asked when the menstrual period occurs, and only 35.2% answered correctly. When asked about the concept of menstruation, 55.9% answered correctly. The best-known aspect of a woman’s cycle was revealed when we asked about the fertile period (63.4%). However, when a question about the definition of ejaculation was asked, the percentage dropped to 49.2%. It is noteworthy that only 4.6% of respondents knew what fertilization was.
In this section, we study the sexual habits of university students related to their practices and the use of contraceptives. The most common response was that students had their first sexual relationship between the ages of 15 and 18, as indicated by 57.8% of respondents. Regarding sexual practices, 40% of the sample stated that they masturbate occasionally. The practice of oral sex was confirmed by 81.7% of the responses, while anal sex is practiced by one third (29.7%). On the other hand, 73.7% of the students reported having orgasms during their intimate relationships.
Regarding protection in the practice of sexual relations, it is noted that 61.6% of university students reported using condoms as their preferred contraceptive, followed by the pill (23.7%). It was also found that one out of every ten students do not use contraceptive methods with their current partner.
Motivations for sexual relations
This dimension serves as a link with the previous dimension and frames the various facilitating and inhibiting factors for sexual relations. It is most common among the university students who were interviewed (64%) to have one to three occurrences of sexual relations per week. In contrast, a quarter of the population is not having sexual relations at present.
Advancing in the explanatory character of the factors, whether one has a partner (sig = .000) is shown as the biggest determinant of sexual frequency. More than half (57.2%) of the unpartnered university students who were interviewed do not engage in sexual relations.
First, we focus on the group of couples who were interviewed. It is interesting to observe the ways in which the subgroups of sexual motivations are interrelated and configured: shared pleasure (stimulation and caresses) leads the motivational aspects of sexual relations for couples among the university population (84.7%); the search of satisfactory contact by the couple is valued and reinforced by 72% of the respondents; and the desire for orgasm is in third among the motivations (34.9% of the responses), as is physical attraction (29.3%). This view is reinforced by a small percentage that sees the sexual relationship as the exclusive search for individual/personal pleasure (only 9.4%).
More than half of young people value the emotional bond as an important aspect of sexual relationships. It is noteworthy that aspects such as penetration (27.4%) are a relatively minor motivation, as is the reproductive instinct, which appears to be the least prominent motivation (1.9%).
Regarding the population that does not engage in sexual activity, their hesitation focuses on not having a partner (15.3%), lack of opportunities (10.8%), fear of contracting HIV/AIDS (1.6%) or other diseases (a dimension that we will examine in more detail in the next section of the analysis), fear of pregnancy (3%), personal insecurities (3%), and disinterest in sex (1.9% of responses).
HIV/AIDS
This dimension seeks to concretise knowledge about the transmission routes of HIV/AIDS and whether there are still social prejudices against infected persons. Practically the entire population that was interviewed (98.9%) is aware that having unprotected sex is one of the risk factors for HIV transmission.
The reference population was asked to identify the pathways of HIV transmission, and 98.8% recognised that unprotected sex is the main route of transmission; in addition, 79.8% pointed out the use of contaminated syringes and needles as another means of transmission. It is surprising that even 69.9% included blood transfusions among the transmission routes, and that only 31.5% did not realise that there is a high risk of transmission during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding.
On the other hand, it is clearly shown that certain prejudices still prevail (43.3%) regarding the groups considered most vulnerable to transmission, such as homosexuals, prostitutes, and drug addicts, because they are considered highly likely become involved in unsafe sexual practices and/or risky situations.
Identity and sexual orientation
This dimension calls into question whether the students have clear knowledge of basic concepts about sexual identity and orientation.
In the analysis, we perceived ignorance about the concepts of transsexuality and gender identity, given that 39.8% and 41.2% of the respondents knew the correct definitions of these terms, respectively.
It was observed that the most notable disinformation concerned the meaning of sexual identity, which only 17.3% identified correctly. However, the aspects related to sexual orientation, such as homosexuality, both male and female, or bisexuality, were somewhat clearer among respondents, with more than 80% correctly indicating the definitions.
Sexual violence
Under this heading, young people were asked about their ability to identify definitions of concepts associated with sexual violence, such as sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Sexism appeared to be the concept that they could most clearly identify (86.8%).
It is surprising that, although, as we pointed out previously, students demonstrated confusion about the definition of the concepts of transsexuality or transgenderism, they had no difficulty identifying the concept of rejection that they can generate, transphobia (75.0%).
Beliefs about sexuality
Finally, the degree of internalisation of certain mandates associated with sexuality, its diversity, and egalitarianism by university students remains to be discovered.
The most positive aspect of this section is the acceptance and respect shown for sexual choices/preferences other than one’s own (92.5%).
Likewise, we can point out that the students maintain an open and egalitarian discourse about diverse sexual experiences and about cohabitation outside marriage (67.1%); they recognise the use of erotic sexual materials to improve the sexual act (52.0%); and slightly more than half (50.9%) associate sexual relations more with pleasure than with reproduction.
Conclusions and Implications for Initial Teacher Training in Sexuality and Equality
Based on the analysis of the data, two major conclusions can be drawn: 1) there is a weak level of knowledge in sexuality among future teachers and 2) there is a poor identification of discourses grounded in equality based on their practices, motivations, and beliefs. We went on to interrelate the two areas identified in the analysis.
Students who are being trained at University Centres for Teacher Training (UCTT) have not clearly or directly acquired competence in sexuality and equality. Therefore, we ask, ‘What approach to education in sexuality and equality have future professionals in education acquired in their academic training?’ This is something that has also been investigated in other European contexts (Winkelmann, 2010).
It has been demonstrated that the little knowledge they have obtained regarding sexuality and equality has been from weak institutional training and through informal learning. This is inadequate to prepare future professionals to comply with national legislative requirements of an educational and social nature, which urge integration of the principle of equality and a gender perspective in the general organisation of educational policies and establish criteria of quality in teaching performance in relation to sexuality and equality, taking an integral approach. Formative deficiencies emerge at the stages of primary and secondary education, and they are addressed more by informal activities (popular knowledge, myths, peer groups, etc.) than by formal academic learning per se. It has been noted that sexual education is not a subject treated in the classroom at the basic-compulsory stages, as shown in various studies (Ayuste et al., 2016; Bejarano Franco et al., 2021) conducted at the national level.
In relation to this question, we argue that maintaining education in sexuality in the informal field does not ensure equal education of a scientific nature or adherence to quality criteria (Burns, & Hendriks, 2018). This approach only serves to continue reproducing myths and stereotypes in the areas of educational intervention, and it will result in unsafe sexual practices (Barón, 2019; Bas-Peña et al., 2015).
These future professionals are not prepared to introduce a gender and transformational feminist approach into the teaching practices and discourses that will directly affect the people they educate. A comprehensive, global perspective on sexuality is not being applied at the European level (Bejarano Franco et al., 2021). Young people’s awareness of protection in their sexual practices should be deepened, since research on young people’s sexual risk behaviours and HIV/AIDS indicates that there has been an increase in the number of infected people, especially among adolescents and youth, that is, those between 15 and 24 years of age (Antón Ruiz, & Espada, 2009). Although they know the forms of transmission, 40% still do not use condoms in their sexual relations. It has also been shown that the young people surveyed are highly vulnerable in the exercise of their sexual practices and that they continue to reproduce stereotypical perceptions of HIV.
Sexual relationships without a good sexual orientation contribute to ignorance of the body and of different types of pleasure. Although shared pleasure does appear to be the main motivation in sexual relationships, little knowledge about orgasm and their own bodies is indicated in the answers. It is striking how high a percentage of the sample, which, as we recall, is mostly female, highlights the couple’s pleasure as the main motivation (72%) – even greater than their own. From a feminist analysis of women’s sexuality and health, this is a fact that shows the differentiated patriarchal socialisation that relegates female sexuality to a secondary level (Muruaga López de Guereñu, & Pascual Pastor, 2013).
As argued by Herrera Achón et al. (2015) and Enguix Grau, & González Ramos (2018), comprehensive sexual education promotes knowledge about one’s own health, and this contributes to the well-being of individuals and increases self-care.
Giroux (2019) addresses the need to rethink university dynamics in the face of neoliberal impositions, including questioning and reworking curricula, objectives, content and methodologies. Feminist pedagogies in university education provide us with interesting lines of action and critical and transformative reflection, focusing on student participation and dialogues between the pedagogical narratives of students and teachers (Martínez Martín, & Sanz Landaluze, 2022).
In the light of the answers focused on the dimensions related to equality, we see that a feminist-democratic perspective, whether conceptual, behavioural, or discursive, permitting work on equality in its multiple dimensions, is not being promoted in the first years of higher education. This leads us to observe a weak map of the imaginary centres of the principles that underpin the term. From its theoretical-practical side, as the axis that should guide all educational practice, one notes the widespread confusion about the correct identification of the concepts of transsexuality and sexual identity (Bernardos et al., 2022). This misinformation leads future teachers to lack adequate tools to address the diversity of sexual identities in the classroom (van Leent, 2017) and to be unable to make positive interventions to prevent and stop inequitable situations in the classroom.
Final reflections from feminist pedagogies
The study reveals general confusion on the part of future teachers regarding the issues that constitute education in sexuality and equality; this can lead to developing linear, binary, and less-inclusive professional practices vis-à-vis the different forms in which violence and socio-educational inequalities are manifested. Social acceptance of the emerging sexual reality, as defined in this article, is an indispensable requirement for the development of a feminist education in response to the indicators of the levels of violence toward those who are not included in the heteronormative framework. This is revealed by several recently published reports that expose the systemic nature of violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity in Spanish schools (hooks, 2020), something that violates the principle of collective individual equality.
We corroborate the fact that learning about sexuality is relegated to the informal field and that the ‘equality component’ is hardly present in the scientific knowledge of future professionals in the field of education. If these teaching professionals are not correctly prepared to develop quality education in sexuality and equality, they will not be able to recognise affective-sexual diversity, prevent violence and the risks that it entails, or articulate democratic and respectful life guidelines incorporating the principle of equality in educational institutions.
Declaración de contribuciones
Las personas autoras declaran que han contribuido en los siguientes roles: M. T. B. J. contribuyó con la escritura del artículo; la obtención de fondos, recursos y apoyo tecnológico y el desarrollo de la investigación. I. M. M. contribuyó con la escritura del artículo; la gestión del proceso investigativo; la obtención de fondos, recursos y apoyo tecnológico y el desarrollo de la investigación. M. B. G. contribuyó con la escritura del artículo; la obtención de fondos, recursos y apoyo tecnológico y el desarrollo de la investigación.
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