Reproduction and Sex Education in portuguese Primary School textbooks: a poor contribution to scientific learning

Abstract

The main goal of the present study was to understand the evolution of primary school textbooks as far as reproduction and sexuality is concerned, since its implementation (1993), giving special emphasis to both scientific rigour and pedagogical approach. Only a graphic improvement was found along the studied time since the scientific drawbacks are maintained along the time. Results show that textbooks give to Human Reproduction a “minor” status when compared to other human biological systems taught in primary school. Some concepts are definitively wrong and others are taught in an ambiguous way allowing pupils’ acquisition of alternative and wrong conceptions.