Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk: A Theoretical - ETR Associates

Table10-1Instructional Principles Important for Each Factor (Continued)Chapter 3KnowledgeChapter 4Perceptionof RiskChapter 5Attitudes, Values,BeliefsChapter 6Perception ofPeer NormsChapter 7Self-Efficacyand SkillsChapter 8IntentionsChapter 9Parent-ChildCommunicationSpecific Content and Instructional Strategies (Continued)Activities should:• Provide the proper balance of challenge and support ✓ ✓• Structure skill-building activities so that students are challenged, but donot fail✓• Create positive physical and emotional associations with healthy sexualbehaviors and diminish negative associations with these behaviors✓ ✓• Help students assess all that they have learned and then formulate andclarify their intentions✓• Pose typical situations or dilemmas confronted by youth and students tomake decisions about the healthiest choices✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓• Help students make commitments to themselves or to others to implementtheir intentions• Help students create a clear plan for implementing intentions• Help students identify possible barriers to implementing their intentionsand methods of overcoming them so that they are more likely to implementtheir intentions✓✓✓• Include homework assignments or other activities to have students talkwith their parents about their beliefs about young people having sex anduse of condoms or other forms of contraceptionGeneral Instructional Methods✓✓• Instructional material should build on existing knowledge as a foundationfor new knowledge✓• Students should be actively engaged in activities and solving problems ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓• Activities should help students organize their new concepts and skills, e.g.,by providing a clear message about ways to avoid or reduce sexual risk✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓• Activities should encourage students to apply new knowledge multipletimes to different problems✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓• Activities should help students apply or integrate their new knowledge orskill into their everyday lives✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓• Instructional material and methods should be tailored to the characteristicsof the students, their needs, and their communities✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓o Both the content and instructional methods should be tailored to thestudents’ gender, age, knowledge level and level of sexual experience✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓o Curricula should include arguments and activities that are effective withstudents at different stages of change towards adopting a particularbehavior✓✓o Activities should address specific attitudes, values and skills that need tobe improved✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓(Continued)126 Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk: A Theoretical Guide for Developing and Adapting Curriculum-Based Programs