Open access peer-reviewed chapter
Demographic and professional characteristics of the principals in the sample.
Abstract
This study examined the school climate as an intermediary between the principal’s personality and the attitude toward sex education in the Arab sector. The main research question was to what extent can the school climate mediate between the personality and the principal’s attitude toward sex education, in the Arab sector in Israel? The study involved 128 principals from the Arab sector in northern Israel. The principals answered four questionnaires: organizational climate, personality characteristics, sex education, and a demographics questionnaire.The findings of the study showed a relationship between the level of openness and extroversion of school principals and their attitudes toward sex education. As for the extroversion index, it was found that the relationship was positive among male principals and negative among female principals. The findings also showed that the personality of the school principal is mediated by the school climate when examining the extroversion measurement only. It was further found that the school climate does not mediate a change between the level of openness and the principal’s attitudes toward sex education. These results can be useful for decision-makers, such as the Ministry of Education and management training institutions, for evaluating and delivering training for in-service principals.
Keywords
- school’s climate
- principal’s personality
- sex education
- Arabs
1. Introduction
Still a relatively new concept, sex education has historically, and still today, brought opposition concerning its engagement [1]. Sex education is the provision of reliable and comprehensive information about sexuality and sexual development and the concrete answers to the youth’s questions and problems. Sex education can be seen as a significant part of the social process of youth. Throughout adolescents’ sexual education in the family, at school and among their peers, they acquire behaviors, habits, virtues and attitudes regarding sex and sexuality, solidify their sexual identity and address the accepted values in society. Today’s society is a dynamic as there are changes in the traditional nuclear family structure, in accepted sexual identity and in gender roles. Youth are experiencing accelerated physical and emotional development associated with, among other things, increased exposure to content and information about sexuality by various means, some of which adults’ control over is limited [2].
Firstster and Lapidot-Berman [3] emphasize that in recent years the Israeli media has flooded the public with many issues related to the ugly expression of human sexuality: sexual violence, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment; obscene acts and rape; children and teens using smartphones to send sex messages and distribute videos showing themselves naked or having sex. These situations require parental and educator involvement, and raise the question of sex education in schools as a targeted factor for healthy sexuality [4, 5].
However, parents and the education system ignore parental responsibility for educating, especially regarding sex education [6]. Accordingly, the school has an essential role in shaping student sexual identity, and the school principal is one of the main factors influencing the school’s sex education. After all, the principal is responsible for all the pedagogical actions and organizational processes, and is decisive in determining the school’s path. Moreover, the principal is expected to develop a positive learning climate and to develop and improve existing programs [7].
The significance of the study comes from the need to raise the important issue of sex education on the educational agenda in Arab society. Sex education is rarely researched in the Arab-Israeli community, and this study is among the first to examine this issue.
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2. Review of related literature
2.1 Sex education and explanation
More than the biological explanation, sex education is defined as a learning process in which the topics of sexual reproduction, sex, sexual identity and gender are studied, as well as other aspects related to human sexual behavior.
Weisblai [2] defined sexuality as an essential component in the healthy development of children and adolescents. A person’s attitudes about sexuality and their sexual behavior form from infancy and throughout adolescence. This learning is influenced by the accepted customs, norms and laws in the child’s community, which differ in every society and period. The World Health Organization defines human sexuality as a central part of a person’s being, and it includes gender identity and sexual orientation. Sexuality is expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, values, and behaviors [3].
“Sexual information” is the information transmitted about the biological, psychological, and social aspects of sex and sexuality. The emphasis is on providing information, conveying an objective opinion and a concrete and factual answer to the questions of the target audience, without an educational message and intentional values. However, even neutral information is loaded with worldviews, ideologies and value messages. For example, it has been found that in biology texts, there are stereotypes and prejudices regarding relationships and the familial and societal roles of the sexes.
Education and explanation are inseparable because education is based on information and opinion in order to cultivate youth awareness and direct them appropriately. Yet some see that education and information are a means of identifying and preventing psychosexual problems that “disturbed” parents cause the young child. Some see it as a means of strengthening family values; others, as a means of instilling order, obedience, discipline, and conformity. For today’s educator, the concepts of sex education may relate issues such as life skills, safe sex, preventing the spread of infectious disease (such as HIV/AIDS), developing mutual respect, preventing abuse, and normalizing different lifestyles [8].
Firstster and Lapidot-Berman [3] argue that sex education contributes to shaping children’s attitudes toward issues of sexuality. However, sex education, due to its values and moral questions, provokes disagreements between policymakers, educators, and parents about its nature and content. Although there is no consensus regarding the need for sex education, views have changed over time and there is less debate about whether a school should engage in sex education [2].
2.2 Sex education in Israel
The Israeli sexual education class is somewhat new, and the education system has recognized the need to provide clear, up-to-date, and authoritative information sensitively, and may be a decisive factor in youth sexual behavior [9]. The assumption was that sex education programs could effectively solve social problems, including premarital sex and sexually transmitted diseases, while also promoting sexuality and well-being education [8].
Two Israeli ministries are responsible for sex education, but do not have supervisory and enforcement authority:
the Ministry of Education—in charge of preparing and assimilating curricula such as “Life Skills” programs through the Counseling Psychological Service Division.
the Ministry of Health—which operates through the Health Promotion Unit, which is responsible for providing information to students about development and sexuality [2].
In the educational aspect, the Department of Counseling Psychology emphasizes strengthening healthy sexuality to promote sexual health. This approach is based on a preventive and proactive approach and serves as the main infrastructure for the “Life Skills” program [10].
About 100 total hours are allocated to sex education programs in the entire state education system. The classes are integrated into the “Life Skills” program, with topics such as safe internet surfing, party behavior and alcohol. There are also separate classes on violence and sexual assault. Although the program is mandatory, a Ministry of Education survey confirms only 60–70% of public schools implement it. Even when implemented, only 10–20% of high schools fully comply with the program as designed. Most schools conduct one-off events or limited activities [2].
2.3 Sex education in Arab sector
The Arab population in Israel is an ethnic and cultural minority group not of immigrants, but of natives. Arab-Israelis face a constant conflict of identities consisting of: citizenship (Israeli), nationality (Palestinian), ethnicity (Arab) and religion (Muslim, Christian and Druze). In recent years, Arab society has undergone political and socio-economic transformations, alongside processes of advancement, modernization, and education. However, despite the increase in the levels of health and education, the gap between the Arab and Jewish populations remains unchanged [11].
Transformations in Arab society affect youth to a considerable extent. Many conflicts exist between traditionalism and secularism, between the values of Western/Israeli society to which they are exposed and those of traditional Arab culture. In addition, they face the challenge combining a modern, interactive, and dynamic world with their traditional world, rooted in Arab culture. Shehadeh and Sinai [12] found differences between the experiences of Arab and Jewish adolescents, one being the linguistic expressions relating to issues of sexuality. This demonstrates the need to strengthen sex education programs in Arab society.
Public sexual discourse in Arab society, particularly among Muslims, is extremely poor. Arab schools have almost no sex education classes, and no educational institution has an orderly information system on sexuality [13]. Abu Baker [14] adds that the issue of sex education in Arab society is complex.
The Qur’an and the Sunnah addressed the issue of sex openly and clearly, emphasizing its being a human need, in addition to being a source of personal pleasure and a tool for the connection of love and kindness within marriage. However, Arab culture made the issue of sex a social taboo, limiting its discussion to the private arena. Eilwan [15] supports the claim that Islam attaches great importance to sex as a fundamental issue. That is why the “Islamic Sharia” has set norms to satisfy a person’s sexual instinct. In contrast, Christianity viewed sex negatively, which could distance believers from the religion and the Church, and condemned it as sinful [16].
A large part of the sex education of adolescent Arab youth passes through conversations between peers or with older youth and by viewing pornographic and sexually explicit websites and magazines. Only a small proportion of teens receive sex education from their parents. Online sexual content does not represent reality, so such sex education may cause sexual dysfunction and violence. In 1996, the first Arabic-language sex education program was published under the title “We and Adolescence.” This program discusses the issue of family life and sex education, and aims to impart knowledge and skills [16].
2.4 Sex education in schools
Harpaz [6] presents two opposing views on sex education: (1) the school is not prepared to engage in it nor is it within its role; (2) The school must address this, since ignoring the issue of sex in adolescence may fail to prevent destructive aspects of sexuality.
In most Western policies, a consensus is that sex education must be included in the curriculum and address a wide range of topics, from anatomy and physiology of the reproductive organs to gender identity, sexual orientation, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, prevention of unwanted pregnancy, and reference to media stereotypes. It seems that structured sex education contributes to healthy sexual behavior [3].
Although some sex education curricula have been developed in Israel, their implementation is not optimal due to the lack of professionals or the lack of time and resources [17]. Even when it is included in the curriculum there is disagreement about the ages to which its content, character and goals should be directed [2].
Moreover, a sex education program should also consider the characteristics of society and the tradition of all students and teachers [18]. Abu Baker et al. [19] highlighted the issue of “Context” from the findings of research conducted among Israeli Jewish and Arab teachers and parents toward the implementation of the school’s sex education program and examining their attitudes toward possible program content. They found that among teachers, there is a great awareness of sex education in both societies, in general, but in Jewish society, teachers are more aware of the existence of a sex education program and they pass the program on to students. Jewish teachers give students more freedom to make their own decisions once they are provided with the relevant information. The Arabs were found to be more supportive than their Jewish counterparts in setting boundaries on the issue of sex. They also expressed more concerns about discussing contraception, lest it encourage students to have sex. The results among Arab and Jewish parents showed large differences in attitudes toward sex education at cultural, social, sexual, and religious levels.
One of the major factors influencing sex education in a school is the school principal. According to Zak [20], the management style is an influential factor in the school. There is a connection between the dimension of leadership and characteristics of the organizational structure on the one hand, and of attitudes on the other.
Anyone in the school can propose sex education. The school principal has a significant responsibility regarding proposals for and implementation of sex education programs. Accordingly, the school principal’s personality has a lot of influence. An important personality theory that has received a great deal of research is the five-factor model known as Big-5: The Model of 5 Factor Personality [21].
2.5 The five-dimensional model of the personality-Big-5
Hilgard and Watkinson [22] defined personality as a configuration of individual traits and behaviors that determine an individual’s unique adaptations to their environment. This includes typical patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that are unique to each person.
The five factors in personality are actually broad axes of personality lines, which incorporate specific traits and behaviors that make them up. The theory addresses the following five personality types:
Neuroticism—on the first side of the dimension, nervousness results from an unsuccessful experience, or from negative emotions such as sadness, fear, anger and guilt. On the other side of this dimension, there is serenity and relaxation. The axis describes adaptation in the face of emotional instability.
Extraversion—a person with a high level of extroversion is energetic, cheerful, and interested in a relationship. Such a person can be perceived as domineering, assertive, condescending, forceful, and inconsiderate of others. Yet a person with a low extroversion level is perceived as withdrawn, alienated, and not interested in a relationship. Therefore, this trait depends on the amount and intensity of interpersonal interaction, the need for stimuli, and the ability to experience joy.
Openness—the tendency to actively seek out experiences, and to evaluate experiences for themselves. Open-minded people are creative, inquisitive, curious, and attentive. In contrast, closed-minded people are defined as rigid and ignoring others’ arguments.
Agreeableness—a person’s interpersonal position on the continuum between compassion and antagonism in thoughts, feelings, and actions. A person with high pleasant qualities is described as an altruistic, self-confident, person who knows how to create a good atmosphere and a good relationship with the other. In contrast, a person with low pleasant qualities is described as cynical, harsh, and hostile, and of a competitive nature. Such a person creates barriers to constructive communication.
Conscientiousness—the organization, perseverance, and motivation of a person in purposeful behavior and creates a continuum between trustworthy, strict people and lazy, sloppy people. A conscientious person is characterized by qualities like obedience, order, a well-developed sense of justice. Lacking conscience can be expressed in a lack of caring for others’ needs.
It should be remembered that these are continuous dimensions, not dichotomous features, so the definition of each person consists of combinations to varying degrees [21]. Since it is not to be expected that all these features will characterize every school principal, researchers have tried to characterize typical principals; in reality, each principal’s style is as unique as fingerprints [23].
An important variable that links the school principal’s personality to her or his attitude toward teaching sex education is the school climate. “Attitudes are a set of beliefs, feelings, inclinations, views, how an individual reacts when faced with a particular occurrence or situation, which require or provoke a reaction or reference. Because attitudes originate in the basic structure of personality, they cannot be changed by conventional means” ([24], p. 20).
2.6 The school climate
The school climate is a set of environmental qualities: ecology, atmosphere, the social system in the organization and its culture [23]. The organizational behavior of schools can be described as:
Each school defines its own goals, even though there are general goals and guidelines for the entire education system.
The principal of the school can shape the character of the institution according to their personal views and inclinations [25].
There are several approaches to defining the organizational climate, but the dominant one today perceives climate as the quality and frequency of the interactions between the members of the organization and themselves and between them and the parents and students. The climate is expressed in words like warm, cold, interpersonal, hostile, harsh and closed, and is defined according to the characteristics of the schoolwork environment. The organizational climate consists of four dimensions:
The physical and material dimension in the organization.
The social dimension of the people in the organization.
The organizational and managerial structure of the organization.
The school culture, which relates to the values, beliefs, norms, and ways of thinking that characterize the teachers and principal [7].
The most famous measurement in the school’s organizational climate is attributed to the work of Halpin and Croft [26], who asked teachers to describe the behavior of peers and principals, referring to the frequency with which certain behaviors occur in school. From these indices emerges a picture of “Open Climate” and “Closed Climate”. The open climate is characterized by cooperation and mutual respect within the teachers’ classroom and between the teachers and the principal. The principal listens to the teachers’ suggestions, gives positive feedback and respects the professional ability of the staff. S/he gives teachers great autonomy and avoids the use of bureaucratic control over their work. Similarly, teacher behavior allows for open professional interaction between teachers; teachers form a close social group, and they are committed to their work in the school.
In contrast, the closed climate is the opposite of the open climate. The principal in this climate sets a particular routine that is obligatory for all teachers and students. Teachers generally react negatively and show low commitment to the school and the educational process. The principal uses rigid managerial control without professional support and hinders team development [7].
Therefore, the best qualities of the school principal, as noted by Bar-Lev [23] are: decisiveness, consistency, authority, patience and proper judgment of people and situations. But at the same time, they must listen to and consult with others, delegate powers and give praise and encouragement to subordinates. They also create a shared vision, maintain a learning atmosphere for students and staff, manage an environment that is safe and effective for the public, maintain good relations with parents and key people in the community, act honestly, fairly and ethically toward all; and influence the system politically, socially, economically, legally and culturally.
2.7 The purpose of the study
The purpose of the present study is to examine to what extent can the school climate mediate between the principal’s personality and attitude toward sex education in the Arab-Israeli sector.
The research hypotheses derived are:
There is a connection between the personality of the school principal and their attitudes toward sex education, so that the less neurotic and more extroverted, open, pleasant, and conscientious the school principal is, the more positive their attitudes toward sex education will be.
The school climate will mediate between the principal’s personality and their attitudes toward sex education, so the less neurotic and more extroverted, open, pleasant, and conscientious the principal is, the more positive the school climate will be. On the other hand, the more positive the school climate, the more positive the principal’s attitudes toward sex education.
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3. Methodology
3.1 The research method
This study is based on the quantitative research approach, which assumes that knowledge is “there,” awaiting discovery, and the researchers’ role is to be “objective” and not allow their views, values, and beliefs to penetrate the research process. “Epistemologically quantitative research is deductive and affirmative” ([27], p. 210).
3.2 The sample population of the study
The study population is 128 principals in Arab public schools in the Northern District of Israel. Table 1 shows that 64.8% of the study participants are men and 35.2% are women. The participants were aged 25 and over, with the majority being 45-55 years. In addition, most principals were married (85.2%) but some were single (7.0%) or divorced (6.3%). Muslims (54.7%), Druze (24.2%) and Christians (18.0%) participated in the study, with most participants being secular (43.0%) or traditional (47.7%).
| Variables | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 83 | 64.8 |
| Female | 45 | 35.2 | |
| Age | 25–35 | 8 | 6.3 |
| 35–45 | 30 | 23.4 | |
| 45–55 | 68 | 53.1 | |
| +55 | 22 | 17.5 | |
| Marital status | Single | 9 | 7.0 |
| Married | 109 | 85.2 | |
| Divorced | 8 | 6.3 | |
| Widower | 2 | 1.6 | |
| Religion | Muslim | 70 | 54.7 |
| Christian | 23 | 18.0 | |
| Druze | 31 | 24.2 | |
| Other | 4 | 3.1 | |
| Religion measure | Secular | 55 | 43.0 |
| Traditional | 61 | 47.7 | |
| Religious | 12 | 9.4 | |
| Education | First degree | 21 | 16.4 |
| Second degree | 92 | 71.9 | |
| Third degree | 13 | 10.2 | |
| Other | 2 | 1.6 | |
| School level | Elementary | 49 | 38.3 |
| Intermediate | 32 | 25.0 | |
| High | 24 | 18.8 | |
| Other | 23 | 18.0 | |
| Locality type | City | 42 | 32.8 |
| Village | 83 | 64.8 | |
| Other | 3 | 2.3 | |
Table 1.
3.3 The research variables
Personality Traits—Consists of five subvariables: extroversion, neuroticism, pleasantness, conscientiousness, and openness.
School climate—Consists of seven subvariables: openness, effort, environment, encouragement, self-feedback, recognition of success and consistency.
Sex education variable—Consists of three subvariables: severity, influence and general.
In general, the subvariables when the value is higher indicate the dominance of the attribute.
3.4 Research instruments
Four questionnaires were used in this study:
High School Organizational Climate Questionnaire—H-S Organizational Climate Index (Appendix B).
This questionnaire is for principals, and it has undergone many incarnations. First developed by Halpin and Croft [26], “The Descriptive Questionnaire of the Organizational Climate”, it focused on measuring the important aspects of teacher-teacher and teacher-principal relationships. The 1989 questionnaire belongs to a research team from the University of Memphis and includes 30 items, which are divided into seven dimensions:
An open school climate in relation to teachers.
The efforts of teachers to work beyond what is required in the definition of their role.
A school environment that allows the teacher to behave optimally when encountering the inappropriate behavior of his students.
Providing the opportunity and encouragement for teacher personal responsibility.
Self-feedback so that a teacher will be encouraged by the school environment to examine his or her behavior as a source of problems in the school without being harmed by it.
Recognition of success, which is the extent to which the school rewards one of its teachers, incentivizes hard work.
The degree to which teachers adhere to and enforce school guidelines.
The answers to the questionnaire are on a five-point Likert scale (5—strongly agree, 4—agree, 3—neutral, 2—disagree, 1—do not agree at all, 0—I have no opinion or the statement is irrelevant). Examples of items, “In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to exchange information about solving school problems”; “In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to improve school programs” ([23], pp. 188–189). For each index, the average of the items is calculated.
Big Five Index Questionnaire (BFI) (Appendix C)—The questionnaire belongs to McCare and John [28] and consists of 44 items answered through a 5-grade Likert scale where 1 means “do not agree at all” and 5 means “strongly agree”; the items are 5-dimensional characteristics of the various individual traits (Table 2). The following are examples of statements—Openness: “An original person who tends to come up with new ideas”, with Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency of .70. Conscience: “An employee who performs his/her job well” with .80. Pleasantness: “Tends to criticize and find flaws in others”, with .68. Neuroticism: “Man is depressed and prone to sadness”, with .81. For each index, the average of the items is calculated.
Sex Education Questionnaire (Appendix D)—The 3-dimensional questionnaire belongs to Blendon [29] and includes 30 questions that examine attitudes toward sexual aspects, and sex education in students:
Attitude toward the problematic nature of sexual aspects: Answer for the eight items by an ordinary scale with 5 levels so that 1—no problem at all, 2—small problem, 3—average problem, 4—big problem, 5—very big problem. Example question: “Unwanted pregnancy.” A high rating of this dimension means an expression of the degree of severity of the attitude toward sexual aspects.
The extent of the effect of sex education on the same sexual aspects mentioned in the previous section, by a 5-level Likert scale, so that 1—does not affect at all, 2—does not affect, 3—affects moderately, 4—affects, and 5—very much affects. Example question “To what extent does sex education affect the issue—unwanted pregnancy”? A high rating of this dimension means a high impact of sex education on sexual aspects.
Answer regarding the degree of agreement for 14 statements, by a 5-level Likert scale, so that 1—do not agree at all, 2—do not agree, 3—neutral, 4—agree, and 5—strongly agree. Example question, “To what extent do you agree with the statement—having sex between adults before marriage is immoral”? A high rating of this dimension expresses a more positive perception toward sexual behavior and sex education.
| Characteristic factor | Representation in the characteristic scale | Representation in the characteristic scale |
|---|---|---|
| Openness | Original | Routine |
| Courage | Not adventurous | |
| Liberal | Conservative | |
| Conscientiousness | Careful | Careless |
| Reliable | Unreliable | |
| Conscience | Irresponsible | |
| Extraversion | Social | Solitary |
| Talkative | Calm | |
| Spontaneous | Self-control | |
| Agreeableness | Good temperament | Nervous |
| Soft hearted | Tough | |
| Lacking selfishness | Selfish | |
| Neuroticism | Worried | Calm |
| Vulnerable | Durable | |
| Lacking confidence | Confident |
Table 2.
Examples of characteristic scales for each of the five dimensions of individual attributes.
In addition, subjects were asked about their age, gender, marital status, years of education, and degree of religiosity (Appendix A).
Table 3 shows the summary of dimensions, their level of reliability.
| Questionnaire | Dimension | Average (S.D.) | Cronbach alpha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questionnaire personal characteristics: | Extroversion | 3.62 (0.44) | 0.50 |
| Neuroticism | 2.36 (0.50) | 0.60 | |
| Pleasantness | 3.89 (0.51) | 0.62 | |
| Conscientiousness | 4.24 (0.52) | 0.76 | |
| Openness | 3.98 (0.46) | 0.68 | |
| School climate questionnaire | Openness | 4.08 (0.63) | 0.85 |
| Effort | 4.11 (0.63) | 0.79 | |
| Environment | 3.93 (0.65) | 0.72 | |
| Encouragement | 3.55 (0.68) | 0.47 | |
| Self-reflection | 3.38 (1.02) | 0.67 | |
| Recognition of success | 3.21 (1.10) | 0.77 | |
| Consistency | 3.29 (0.77) | 0.46 | |
| Sexual education | The severity of the position | 3.89 (0.62) | 0.74 |
| Effect of sex education | 3.79 (0.66) | 0.85 | |
| Behavior perception and sex education | 2.97 (0.53) | 0.75 |
Table 3.
Mean, standard deviation, and Cronbach alpha values for all dimensions in the study.
3.5 Research process
There was an application to an academic institution for its approval to distribute the questionnaires to the principals in its professional development courses. After receiving the approval, the questionnaires were distributed at the principals’ meetings and the purpose of the research and the expected results were presented. The data collection procedure was spread over several weeks. All data were collected by the researchers.
3.6 Ethics in research
Care was taken to properly address the principals nominated for participation. School principals were recruited in person at their workplaces or study groups. After receiving their consent to participate in the study, they were given a brief explanation of the study purpose and were promised confidentiality and anonymity regarding their personal details, then asked to complete the questionnaires. Some principals refused to fill out the questionnaire, so it was explained to them that they were free to discontinue their participation in the study at any stage and of their own free will, and that their non-participation would not affect them and their status in any way. They were also assured that the data and findings would be used for academic research and would not be passed on to any official.
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4. Findings
The purpose of the present study is to examine the extent to which the school climate can mediate between the personality and the principal’s attitude toward sex education in Arab society in Israel.
The hypotheses examined in this study are:
There is a connection between the personality of the school principal and their attitude toward sex education, so that the less neurotic and more extroverted, open, pleasant, and conscientious the school principal is, the more positive her or his attitudes toward sex education will be.
The school climate will mediate between the principal’s personality and their attitudes toward sex education, thus the less neurotic and more extroverted, open, pleasant, and conscientious the school principal is, the more positive the school climate will be. Conversely, the more positive the school climate, the more positive the principal’s attitudes toward sex education.
First hypothesis: there is a connection between the school principal’s personality and their attitudes toward sex education, so that the less neurotic and more extroverted, open, pleasant, and conscientious the school principal is, the more positive their attitudes toward sex education will be.
To examine the relationship between the school principal’s personality and their attitudes toward sex education, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to examine the nature of the relationship between the variables measured (Table 4). It was found that there was a positive relationship at a moderate and significant level (Rp = 0.255,
| Subgroups | Dimensions of sexual education | Characteristic factor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Openness | Extroversion | |||
| Total | Perception of behavior and sexual education | 0.255** | — | |
| Gender | Men | The impact of sex education | — | 0.226* |
| Women | The impact of sex education | — | −0.318* | |
| Women | Perception of behavior and sexual education | 0.324* | — | |
| Religion | Muslim | The severity of the attitude | −0.245* | — |
| Druze | The impact of sex education | — | 0.368* | |
| Religiousness | Secular | Perception of behavior and sexual education | 0.445*** | — |
Table 4.
Pearson’s correlation coefficients between school principal personality and sex education.
Moreover, when examining the relationship by gender, it was found that among men only there is a positive and significant moderate relationship (Rp = 0.226,
However, the more extroverted female principals are, the more likely they are to think that the impact of sex education in school is low. In contrast, a moderate and significant positive relationship was found (Rp = 0.324,
The study examined the impact of religion on the perception of sex education. Among Muslims, there is a moderate and significant relationship (
Among the Druze principals, it was found that there was a moderate and significant positive relationship (Rp = 0.368,
Finally, it was found that there is a positive and significant relationship (Rp = 0.445,
Second hypothesis: The school climate will mediate between the principal’s personality and her/his attitudes toward sex education, so that the less neurotic and more extroverted, open, pleasant, and conscientious the school principal is, the more positive the school climate will be. On the other hand, the more positive the school climate, the more positive the principal’s attitudes toward sex education.
To examine the degree of mediation of the school climate between the components of personality and the attitudes toward sex education, the Sobel test was used.
To test the hypothesis that the school climate will mediate between the principal’s personality and their attitudes toward sex education, the relationship between the school climate and the principal’s personality was first examined (Table 5). It was found that there is a strong positive and significant relationship between the level of extroversion of the principal and the level of openness of the school (Rp = 0.525,
| School climate | Dimensions of personal qualities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Openness | Conscientiousness | Pleasantness | Neuroticism | Extroversion | |
| The level of openness in the school | 0.447*** | 0.307*** | 0.198* | — | 0.525*** |
| Effort to succeed | 0.347*** | 0.195* | 0.201* | — | 0.389*** |
| Supportive school environment | 0.422*** | 0.211* | — | — | 0.440*** |
| Encouragement for personal responsibility | — | — | — | — | 0.275*** |
| Self-feedback | — | — | — | 0.248*** | 0.178* |
| consistency | — | — | — | — | 0.178* |
Table 5.
Pearson’s correlation coefficients between school principal personality and school climate.
The level of neuroticism of the school principal was found to be positively and significantly associated (Rp = 0.248,
When examining the relationship between the school climate and sex education (Table 6), it was found that there is positive relationship between the openness of the school climate and the perception of behavior and sex education (Rp = 0.181,
| School climate | Sex education | |
|---|---|---|
| Perception of behavior and sexual education | Impact of sex education | |
| The level of openness at school | 0.181* | 0.239** |
| Effort to succeed | 0.238** | 0.189* |
| Supportive school environment | — | 0.231** |
| Encouragement for self-responsibility | — | — |
| Self-feedback | — | — |
| consistency | 0.204* | 0.300** |
| Recognition of success | 0.266** | — |
Table 6.
Pearson’s correlation coefficients between sex education and the school climate.
Another positive relationship was found between the structure of the school environment and the perception of behavior and sexual education (Rp = 0.196,
To examine whether the school climate mediates between the principal’s personality (in dimensions: openness, extroversion) and sex education (in dimensions: behavioral perceptions and sex education, the effect of sex education) a linear regression analysis was performed when the two principal personality variables (in the two dimensions above) and school climate are independent variables and sex education (in both dimensions above) as a dependent variable. Notably, the two dimensions of sex education examined in this hypothesis are those that were dominant in their correlation with the two dimensions of personality traits (Table 4).
The following are the options tested through the Sobel test:
When the effect of the openness dimension on the “perception of behavior and sexual education” dimension in the regression model in all principals was examined, it was found that the regression coefficient value of the openness dimension is positive and significant (
B = 0.255,P < 0.004). When the dimensions of the school climate are added, it is found that the effect of the openness dimension increases (B = 0.385,P < 0.0001). After adding the dimensions of the school climate, the explained variance of the model increased (Rp = 0.382,P < 0.001). Therefore, the school climate dimensions do not mediate the relationship between the dimension of openness and the dimension of “perception of behavior and sexual education”, but rather the dimensions of the school climate make a unique contribution to the regression model among all principals.When the effect of the extrovert dimension on the “sex education effect” dimension among male principals only was examined, it was found that the regression coefficient of the extruder dimension was positive and significant (
B = 0.226,P < 0.040). When the dimensions of the school climate are added, it is found that the effect of the extrovert dimension is small and no longer significant (B = −0.039,P > 0.750). Therefore, the school climate dimensions mediate the relationship between the extroversion dimension and the “impact of sex education” dimension among male principals.When the effect of the extrovert dimension on the “effect of sex education” dimension among Druze principals was examined only, it was found that the regression coefficient of the extruder dimension was positive and significant (
B = 0.368,P < 0.041). When the dimensions of the school climate are added, it is found that the effect of the extrovert dimension is small and no longer significant (B = −0.233,P > 0.299). Therefore, the school climate dimension mediates the connection between the extroversion dimension and the “impact of sex education” dimension among Druze principals.When the effect of the openness dimension on the “perception of behavior and sexual education” dimension among secular principals only was examined, it was found that the regression coefficient of the openness dimension was positive and significant (
B = 0.445,P < 0.001). When the dimensions of the school climate are added, the effect of the openness dimension increases (B = 0.575,P < 0.0001). Therefore, the school climate dimensions do not mediate the relationship between the openness dimension and the “behavioral perception and sex education” dimension, but rather the school climate dimensions make a unique contribution to the regression model among secular principals.
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5. Discussion
The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which the school climate can mediate between the personality and the principal’s attitude toward sex education in the Arab-Israeli community. The study was based on the “Big Five” model. In education, the principal is perceived as a leader whose leadership depends on personal qualities and skills, including the ability to fulfill tasks [30]. Therefore, the school atmosphere is greatly influenced by the principal’s behavior toward the staff and students and their parents, and even how the climate is defined as a work environment (cold, friendly, hostile, or closed).
The prevailing assumption is that the perceptions of teachers, students, parents, and principals of the social, physical and pedagogical environments in the school may influence the school’s educational processes, outputs, and outcomes. Recognition of these perceptions is important for school principals, who are required to control the organizational processes and discover the areas in which intervention is needed to improve the school atmosphere [7].
According to Raichel [31], the principal should know the school’s educational staff and students, and get to know their feelings, attitudes and needs. Tadmor [32] adds that the task of formal education is to engage in the multifaceted design of the student, on the one hand to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and behavioral aspects, and on the other hand to develop each student’s unique personality.
The centrality of the school will be expressed, therefore, in that it will serve as a social agent, imparting the primary culture above and beyond its traditional functions as imparting disciplinary knowledge. In other words, the school takes on tasks that were previously taught at home. The great responsibility of the school for shaping the image of the future graduate in the modern age lies in the deteriorating state of the traditional family, the undermining of powers, and the growing pluralism of values.
Additionally, parents have an important and primary role in their children’s sexual development through a process of sexual socialization in which children absorb the social norms associated with sexual behavior. Schools and health professionals must support the role of parents, and parents must support schools in promoting sex education for their adolescent children [33].
Flower et al. [34] also emphasize the need for schools to raise children who can sexually communicate directly, openly, honestly, prominently, and spontaneously. In doing so, children develop self-confidence in their sexuality with sensitivity to the needs, rights, and preferences of other people.
First hypothesis: Based on the findings, it was found that there is a relationship between the level of openness and extroversion of school principals and their attitudes toward sex education. It has been found that principals with a high level of openness tend to perceive sex education in a more positive way. Similarly, this relationship is stronger among secular principals.
This finding indicates that the dimension of high openness to experiences has a great influence on the principal’s attitudes toward sex education. This is consistent with the findings in Raichel’s [31] study, that a person with high-intensity traits is creative and enterprising with a penetrating vision in depth and for the long term future. A proactive person, open to change, who does not wait to be motivated, but initiates and motivates others, has broad horizons, mental flexibility, and originality. Raichel adds that successful managers have characteristics such as perseverance, creativity, openness, empathy, patience, compassion, transparency, integrity, consistency, determination, risk-taking and awareness of others and themselves. In addition, their values are often of a social-democratic or liberal-humanist nature and aimed at equal opportunities. Therefore, the principal’s liberal nature promotes tolerance toward the different, for example, students with same-sex orientation [3].
About secular principals, it was found that there is a strong connection between their level of openness and their attitude toward sex education. This finding is consistent with the findings of Brosh [35], who found that there is a link between the level of religiosity and attitudes toward sex education: about 9% of the religious and traditional teaching students in her study underestimated the importance of sex education in school, compared to only 1% of seculars. Only about a quarter of religious and traditional students supported the provision of sex education for kindergarten and elementary school children, while about 36% of secular students supported it. Cabalion [8] also emphasizes that there is a cultural gap between the values of secular and traditional society. While secular society views sexual education as an act of progress and enlightenment, the other sees it as an expression of moral corruption.
As for the relationship between the extroversion dimension and the “effect of sex education” dimension, it was found that there is a positive relationship between them among the principals, and an inverse relationship was found among the women principals. The more extroverted male principals are, the higher they rank the “impact of sex education” dimension in school. In contrast, extroverted female principals tend to give little importance to the “impact of sex education” dimension in school.
This finding reinforces the assumption that personality traits are not dichotomous and can move along a spectrum. A person with a high level of extroversion, characterized as an assertive, energetic, cheerful, talkative, spontaneous, social person who is interested in relationships. In contrast, a person with low extroversion is perceived as withdrawn, segregated, alienated, restrained and not interested in relationships [36].
Based on the rating of the traits, it is likely that male principals with a high level of extroversion participated in the study, compared to female principals with a low level of extroversion, which created a difference in attitudes between the two sexes. This finding is inconsistent with the findings as mentioned by Brosh [35], which examined the attitudes of 135 male and female educators in the Arab sector toward education for family life and sex life. In the Arab sector there is great general support for education for family life, however, not all subjects were perceived as suitable for school.
Some researchers believe that male and female principals are different in the way they manage people and exercise their leadership, even though the differences are not innate but the result of different social processes and life experiences. Contrary to this approach, others argue that there is unequivocal evidence of gender differences in school management. Conversely, there are studies that indicate that male and female principals are not different in their professional behavior. When there are gender differences, they are marginal and concentrate mainly on the different career experiences of women and men ([7], pp. 257–258).
According to Hertz-Lazarowitz and Shapira [37], one of the weaknesses of the feminist-gender approach to understanding educational leadership stems from its disregard for environmental and cultural influences on the leader’s behavior and its focus on gender as a major factor in assessing the behavior of a female school principal as an educational leader.
Abu Baker [38] argues that the issue of sex education in the Arab-Israeli education system is still subject to the personal decisions of school principals and the degree of personal courage within their communities. In most cases, principals prefer not to get into a confrontation that will undermine their status and condemn their decisions. She added that this is due to the common assumption that sex education teaches students how to have sex, and parents see this as an obscene goal and not within the school’s purview.
The very fact that the present study found a difference between the attitudes of extroverted males and extroverted female principals in the “impact of sex education” dimension in school may support the ideology of the dominant gender, which dictates the content, division of roles and social statuses. Rosen [39] mentioned that social interactions are how individuals learn what the expectations are directed at them according to their gender. Therefore, despite the controversy in the literature, gender plays some role in understanding the world of male and female principals [7]. It is possible that the extroverted female principals were reserved in their responses due to gender norms.
Among the Druze principals, a positive relationship was found between their level of extroversion and the “impact of sex education” dimension. The more extroverted the Druze principals are, the higher they rated the “impact of sex education” dimension in the school.
This finding may indicate that the Druze society has undergone great change. It was shaped for many years by religion when the social-traditional framework and living conditions determined the individual’s connection to community [40]. The social situation today has changed fundamentally. Most of the young Druze men and women have opened to the modern world in institutions of higher learning, workplace and military service. What was taken for granted in the past does not today satisfy the needs of Druze youth. The traditional leadership loses its powers, with the younger generation of Druze in daily contact with Jewish society, which brings about a change in the lifestyle and views of the Druze youth. Today, young Druze often ask many and varied questions about their identity, affiliation, values, religion and more, and are not satisfied with “simple” answers. They require serious attention to their questions and concerns. The community clergy, elders, leaders, and officials are unable to provide the answers to all the questions. Community segregation further exacerbates the difficulties of dealing with the gaps between the old and the new. It highlights the conflict between the preservation of culture and unique identity and the pressures arising from modern culture ([41], p. 5).
Second hypothesis: It was found that the school climate does indeed mediate between the school principal’s personality in the extroversion dimension and the “effect of sex education” dimension. However, as for the openness dimension, the school climate has not been found to mediate between the openness dimension and the “impact of sex education” dimension.
In order to illustrate these differences, we will examine the nature of the relationship between the dimensions of personality and school climate, in addition to the dimensions of sex education. The extroversion dimension was found to be positively associated with the “effect of sex education” dimension, so extroverted men tend to rank higher the “effect of sex education” dimension, as well as among Druze principals, the higher the extroversion level, the higher they rank the dimension “The Impact of Sex Education”. When the dimensions of the school climate are added to the model, it is found that this relationship disappears, which indicates a full mediation of the school climate dimension, between the extrovert dimension and the “effect of sex education” dimension.
This finding reinforces the hypothesis that the more extroverted the school principal, the more positive the school climate dimensions will be, and the more positive the principal’s attitudes toward the “impact of sex education” dimension will be.
Friedman [42] argues that extroversion is the ability to turn outward, target people around the person, and show humanity and consideration toward them. This ability allows the adult to understand other people’s intentions and identify their aspirations, even when they are hidden, and potentially act on that information.
Therefore, it is likely that this finding highlights the critique that focused on personal traits and did not address the work environment, which led to the existence of the situational approach. The situation approach that rejected the traits approach and the assumption that people are born leaders and began to look for unique characteristics in the work environment that influence the leader’s behavior and level of performance. The situational approach claims that there are several variables that can influence a principal’s behavior such as the structural characteristics of the organization, job characteristics, subordinate characteristics, external environment, and internal environment including values, level of participation, openness, culture, and school climate [7].
As a critique of the personal trait model and the situational attitude model, Opletka [7] noted that they were developed a different approach to describing and measuring the organizational climate based on understanding the need to simultaneously measure a person’s traits and the characteristics of the environment in which the person lives and operates. This led to the formulation of six factors in the school’s organizational climate index: (1) intellectual climate; (2) a climate of achievement criteria; (3) a climate that emphasizes personal support; (4) organizational effectiveness; (5) a climate that emphasizes order; and (6) a climate of great control over chance.
The literature review shows that the school climate is of great importance and has a profound effect on the physical and mental health of students. A positive school climate strongly influences motivation for learning, and contributes to reducing violence, bullying and sexual harassment and as a factor that protects learning and overall positive development of young people [43].
In contrast, when we examine the dimension of openness of principals, that there is a positive relationship between it and the dimension of “perception of behavior and sexual education”. The same is true among the secular, the higher the dimension of openness, the more positive the “perception of behavior and sexual education". It is important to note that after the addition of the school climate dimensions, the unique contribution of the openness dimension to the regression model stood out even more. Thus, the openness dimension and the school climate dimension make a unique and separate contribution to predicting the “perception of behavior and sexual education” dimension in school, and the school climate dimension does not mediate the relationship between the openness dimension and the “perception of behavior and sexual education” dimension in school.
Friedman [42] reinforces this finding and emphasizes that a person with developed skills in human relations controls communication with others. Aware of their own positions and assumptions and those of others and able to find benefit even in possible disagreements. Such a person works to create an atmosphere of in which subordinates feel safe and free to express themselves without fear of criticism or humiliation. This person allows their colleagues and subordinates to participate in the planning of the things that directly affect them and their execution. They are aware of the motivation of the people and their needs in the organization and is considerate of all these.
Raichel [31] adds that a condition for principal leadership is to create a good atmosphere that the staff members will feel that they are in a good, necessary, valued, meaningful, belonging place and that they have constant support. A principal can create the atmosphere in which disagreements are resolved in a conversation that one learns from the different opinions and that there is room for everyone.
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6. The contribution of research to the management of the education system
The findings of the present study offered empirical evidence to support the impact of the school climate as an intermediary between the personality dimensions of the principal and the attitude toward sex education in the Arab schools in Israel. The study relied on the Big-Five model of personality and shed light on the school principal’s desired traits and attitudes toward sex education in Arab society specifically.
According to Friedman [42], the principals, as head of the school, are perceived as a key accelerator in the organization’s performance and largely determine its directions of development, how it is managed and organizational behavior. Therefore, the principal is must not only demonstrate technical management skills, but also skills for participatory management and building a team culture. Hence, stellar leaders are open, accessible people, expressing fairness, transparency, honesty, and aware of others; they are actually realizing in their actions the models of ideal educational leadership [7].
The study demonstrates that in addition to pedagogical education, the Ministry of Education must include sex education in its training and appointing principals. In addition, the issue of personal qualities and their empowerment can be emphasized in the training of principals (or in the framework of professional development). The combination of personal qualities (natural talent), training and experience can build a third model (hybrid) for a school principal who may be more competent and skilled in school management, since performing management tasks effectively requires the acquisition of specific skills.
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7. Conclusions
Regarding the Big-Five model of personality, it can be concluded that the model ignores reference to situations; it does not explain why a person can behave very differently in one situation than in another. There is still controversy whether it is attitude and qualities that determine the behavior, and a situation that determines the behavior. Therefore, it is impossible to predict behavior according to a trait, because the behavior varies from one situation to another.
Although the attributes approach has not been successful in explaining the leadership phenomenon, it is thanks to it that studies conducted today use advanced measurement methods to identify attributes of managers in an organization.
Regarding the principal’s tasks and responsibilities, it can be concluded that they are the result of, among other things, social, organizational and cultural arrangements. Hence, in a traditional society evolving in large steps in a wide range of fields, including social and cultural, the field of sex education cannot be arbitrary. Principals must navigate between making the subject accessible to students and accepting community engagement (e.g., parent committee). Ignoring the field of sex education is irresponsible and could be seen as covert approval for any behavior.
The process of sexual socialization that begins at home by the parents is not enough to instill in children the healthy behaviors in this area. Children are exposed to community norms and misleading information, hence the need to have sex education programs in school and educate on society’s norms in family and sex life, cultivate tolerance for unusual behaviors, and promote healthy and safe sexual behavior.
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8. Summary
The research literature reviewed sheds light on the importance of sex education in modern schools; however, in practice, the implementation of programs in this field is partial. This topic is gaining momentum in Arab society in Israel, where the issue of sex education is culturally and ethically sensitive. It seems that while research findings indicate the role of educational counselors in promoting sex education in schools, research dealing with the role of Arab educational counselors in the subject is almost non-existent [44].
Youth are always replete with questions related to sexuality, and therefore they should be provided with answers to all the problems and clarifications to various concepts [45]. Domb [46] argues that one of teachers’ concerns is that students will ask them personal questions, and they are unsure what way to answer such questions, and since the issue is emotionally charged, it turned out that “dry” information is insufficient and that every fact must undergo an emotional processing that will allow it to be internalized. Therefore, breaking down the embarrassment depends on the ability of educators and counselors to talk about the issue without getting anxious and scared.
Considering this, the professional literature places great emphasis on the principal being an innovator and a promoter of change. Various researchers have pointed out that among the tasks of a school principal are developing, supervising, and providing assistance to the staff in their work. In addition, principals are expected to cultivate a supportive work environment.
Therefore, the principal is now required not only to present technical management skills, but to perform management tasks in an effective manner that requires the acquisition of specific skills, including in sex education. At the same time, the lack of a theoretical framework that clearly defines the skills required of those involved in school management leaves room for different approaches in the training of principals [7].
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No. of examinee: ______
My names are _______ from Advanced Studies Unit in Sakhnin College. The research we are conducting deals with the school climate as a mediator between the personality and the position of the principal towards sex education in the Arab sector. The data is collected anonymously and will not be passed on to any other party.
Your participation is a great contribution to our research.
Sex: (1) Male (2) Female
Age: (1) 25 -35 (2) 35-45 (3) 45-55 (4) 55 and up
Marital Status: (1) Single (2) Married (3) Divorced (4) Widowed
Religion: (1) Muslim (2) Christian (3) Druze (4) Other
Degree of religiosity: (1) secular (2) traditional (3) religious
Education: (1) Bachelor (2) Master (3) Ph.D. (4) Other
Principal: (1) Elementary School (2) Secondary School (3) High School (4) Other
Seniority in management: (1) 1-3 years (2) 4-10 years (3) 11-20 years (4) 21 years and over
In what type of locality do you live: (1) city (2) village (3) other
Answer the statements according to the degree to which you agree with each of them.
Levels: 5 = Strongly agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral (neither agree nor disagree), 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree, 0 = I have no opinion or the statement is irrelevant
| No opinion/Irrelevant 0 | Strongly disagree 1 | Disagree 2 | Neutral 3 | Agree 4 | Strongly agree 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to use consistent ways to treat students who regularly break the rules | ||||||
| 2. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to consider whether my role is one of the causes of school problems | ||||||
| 3. In my opinion in the environment of this school I am encouraged to examine the performance of my work | ||||||
| 4. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I receive a special reward when my work is done exceptionally | ||||||
| 5. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to express my opinions about school problems | ||||||
| 6. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to trust my personal judgments when I make routine day-to-day decisions | ||||||
| 7. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to collect data and process them for my work | ||||||
| 8. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to see in my actions/opinions possible causes of problems in the school | ||||||
| 9. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to trust my personal feelings in decision making | ||||||
| 10. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to check with others before I deviate from the existing school guidelines | ||||||
| 11. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to consider the school regulations when I make decisions | ||||||
| 12. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to reward students for effective performance | ||||||
| 13. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to make personal decisions in response to problems related to my professional roles | ||||||
| 14. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to take responsibility for improving the school | ||||||
| 15. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to take fair, determined and consistent steps when school regulations are violated | ||||||
| 16. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to work “beyond what is required in the job definition" | ||||||
| 17. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to reward students for special services they perform | ||||||
| 18. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to seek the consent of others before I make changes in my work | ||||||
| 19. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to help solve school problems as soon as they arise | ||||||
| 20. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to exchange information regarding problem solving school | ||||||
| 21. In my opinion, in this school environment I am encouraged to improve school programs | ||||||
| 22. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I receive a special reward for effective performance | ||||||
| 23. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I can conclude that the management is aggressive towards anyone who violates the regulations | ||||||
| 24. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to trust the judgments of others and not decide for myself | ||||||
| 25. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to take personal responsibility for the decisions I make in relation to issues concerning the school | ||||||
| 26. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to contribute to the preservation of a positive school climate | ||||||
| 27. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I can conclude that the management is fair and consistent towards those who violate the regulations | ||||||
| 28. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to ask myself if I have contributed to the problems of the school | ||||||
| 29. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to consider suggestions regarding my work as steps for improvement and not as personal criticism | ||||||
| 30. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to express my views in solving difficult school problems |
5. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to express my views on school issues.
14. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to take responsibility for improving the school.
19. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to help solve school problems as soon as they arise.
20. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to exchange information regarding school problem solving.
21. In my opinion, in this school environment I am encouraged to improve school programs.
26. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to contribute to the preservation of a positive school climate
29. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to consider suggestions regarding my work as steps for improvement and not as personal criticism.
30. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to express my views in solving difficult school problems.
7. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to collect data and process them for my work.
12. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to reward students for effective performance.
16. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to work “beyond what is required in the job definition".
17. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to reward students for special services they perform.
25. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to take personal responsibility for decisions I make in relation to issues concerning the school.
1. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to use consistent ways of treating students who regularly break the rules.
3. In my opinion in the environment of this school I am encouraged to examine the performance of my work.
11. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to consider the school regulations when I make decisions.
15. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to take fair, determined and consistent steps when school regulations are violated.
23. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I can conclude that the management is aggressive towards anyone who violates the regulations.
27. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I can conclude that the management is fair and consistent towards those who violate the regulations.
6. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to trust my personal judgments when I make routine day-to-day decisions.
9. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to trust my personal feelings in decision making.
13. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to make personal decisions in response to problems related to my professional roles.
2. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to consider whether my role is one of the causes of school problems.
8. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to see in my actions/opinions possible causes of problems in the school.
28. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to ask myself whether I have contributed to the problems of the school.
4. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I receive a special reward when my work is done in an extraordinary way.
22. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I receive a special reward for effective performance.
10. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to check with others before I deviate from the existing school guidelines.
18. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to seek the consent of others before I make changes in my work.
24. In my opinion, in the environment of this school I am encouraged to trust the judgments of others and not decide for myself.
Here is a list of sentences or descriptions that characterize different people and these may or may not be true about you. For example, do you that you are a person who likes to spend time in the company of others?
Write next to each description the number that indicates the degree of your consent or disagreement with the description.
5 = Strongly agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral (neither agree nor disagree), 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree
I see myself as…
1. ____ talkative
2. ____ tends to criticize and find flaws in others
3.____ An employee who performs his / her job well
4. ____ A depressed and irritable person
5. ____ An original person who tends to come up with new ideas.
6. ____ Restrained and reserved
7. ____ Right to help and unselfish with others
8. ____ can sometimes be careless
9. ____ A calm person who copes well with pressure
10. ____ Curious about many things
11. ____ Very energetic
12. ____ A person who tends to provoke quarrels with others
13. ____ A reliable employee who can be trusted
14. ____ Tense at times
15. ____ A smart, witty and an in-depth person
16. ____ Enthusiastic
17. ____ Has a forgiving temperament
18. ____ tends to be disorganized
19. ____ A person who worries a lot
20. ____ Has an active imagination
21. ____ tends to be quiet
22. ____ A person who usually gives trust
23. ___ tends to be lazy
24. ___ Emotionally stable, not easily raffled
25. ___ With the character of an inventor
26. ___ Has a decisive assertive personality
27. ___ can be cold, condescending and distant
28. ___ Stick to the target until it is fully completed
29. ___ Prone to mood swings
30. ___ Knows how to evaluate aesthetic and artistic experiences
31. ___ sometimes closed and deadlock
32. ___ A considerate and pleasant person towards almost everyone
33. ___ does things efficiently
34. ___ Remains calm in stressful situations
35. ___ prefers routine work
36. ___ A sociable and open person
37. ___ Sometimes rude to others
38. ___ A person who plans and adheres to plans
39. ___ gets upset easily
40. ___ Often enjoys thinking and having fun with abstract ideas
41. ___ shows little interest in art
42. ___ Likes to collaborate with others
43. ___ A person whose mind is easily distracted
44. ___ Has a deep and complex approach to art, music and literature
Here are some problems that adolescents face. For each problem, circle the degree of its severity according to the following scale:
1 = not a problem at all, 2 = a small problem, 3 = an average problem, 4 = a big problem, 5 = a very big problem.
| The problem | 1 = not a problem at all | 2 = a small problem | 3 = an average problem | 4 = a big problem | 5 = a very big problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Unwanted pregnancy | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| B. Infection with sexually transmitted diseases | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| C. Low academic achievement | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| D. Infection with AIDS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| E. Violence | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| F. Alcohol and drug use | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| G. Moving away from religion | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| H. The effects of communication and the Internet | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
2. Rank, by a circle, how much the sexual education that the adolescents receive in the school affects each of the topics we discussed in the previous question, according to the following scale:
1 = does not affect at all, 2 = does not affect, 3 = affects to an average degree, 4 = affects, 5 = greatly affects.
| The problem | 1 = does not affect at all | 2 = does not affect | 3 = affects to an average degree | 4 = affects | 5 = greatly affects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Unwanted pregnancy | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| B. Infection with sexually transmitted diseases | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| C. Low academic achievement | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| D. Infection with AIDS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| E. Violence | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| F. Alcohol and drug use | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| G. Moving away from religion | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| H. The effects of communication and the Internet | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Here are some sentences. For each sentence, rate the degree of your agreement with him, by circling the degree of consent and according to the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree.
| The problem | 1 = strongly disagree | 2 = disagree | 3 = neutral | 4 = agree | 5 = strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Having sex between adults before marriage is an immoral thing | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 2. Having sex between adults before marriage is a sin | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3. Having sex between teenagers before marriage is an immoral thing | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 4. Having sex between teenagers before marriage is a sin | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 5. Sex education should be part of a program of the school curriculum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6. Adolescents need boundaries about sex—You need to teach them what is acceptable and what is not acceptable as the subject of sex education | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 7. Adolescents need to make their own decisions—They should only be provided with information and guidance as the subject sex education | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8. The Ministry of Education should fund sex education classes in which to encourage complete abstinence from having sex before marriage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 9. The Ministry of Education must fund sex education classes In which they will provide information on contraception | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 10. The issue of sex education in school should be mandatory | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 11. The subject of homosexuality must be taught as part of sex education classes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 12. Providing information to adolescents on how to obtain and use contraception encourages them to have sex at an early age | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 13. Providing information to adolescents on how to obtain and use contraception encourages them to have safe sex in the future | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 14. The sex education I received from my parents was good | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Circle the choice that indicates to what age adolescents should wait for sex, according to the following scale: 1 = up to age 16, 2 = up to age 18, 3 = up to age 21, 4 = until marriage, 5 = depending on the boy’s/girl’s desire.
| The problem | 1 = up to age 16 | 2 = up to age 18 | 3 = up to age 21 | 4 = until marriage | 5 = depending on the boy’s/girl’s desire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. Until what age should the boys wait to have sex | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 18. Until what age should the girls wait to have sex | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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