DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.184287.1 ISSN: 2046-1402

Cultural Constraints and Teacher Agency in SRH Education for Students with Learning Disabilities

Shaadah Shariman, Novel Lyndon, Faizah Mas'ud
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Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education is widely recognised as a fundamental component of inclusive education and a basic human right. However, its implementation remains uneven, particularly for students with learning disabilities who occupy a marginalised position at the intersection of disability, culture, and education. This study examines how teachers mediate SRH education for students with learning disabilities in a culturally complex context in southern Sarawak, Malaysia. Drawing on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 12 special education teachers and survey responses from 78 teachers across five districts, the study explores how SRH knowledge is negotiated, adapted, and constrained in classroom practice. Guided by Ecological Systems Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, the findings reveal that SRH education is shaped by multi-layered interactions between institutional limitations, socio-cultural norms, and teacher agency. Four key dynamics are identified: institutional unpreparedness, lack of structured pedagogical resources, cultural and religious regulation of sexuality discourse, and teacher-led adaptive practices. Teachers emerge as cultural mediators who navigate tensions between policy expectations and community sensitivities. The study argues that reliance on individual teacher agency produces fragmented and inequitable access to SRH education. It calls for culturally responsive pedagogical frameworks, targeted professional training, and stronger institutional support. Reframing SRH education as a site of cultural negotiation and power highlights the need for more inclusive, contextually grounded approaches to sexuality education for students with disabilities.

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