How Is Sexuality Education for Adolescents Evaluated? A Systematic Review Based on the Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) Model

Despite growing interest in the effectiveness of sexuality education, only a single systematic review regarding its evaluation has been conducted. This review aimed to systematically analyse studies that include the evaluation of sexuality education for adolescents using the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model, and summarise evidence concerning relevant theoretical and methodological issues. From inception to 2017, eleven databases were searched and additional hand searches were completed. Full text, peer reviewed articles covering the evaluation of sexuality education for adolescents were considered. After examining 832 abstracts, 64 publications were retained. Almost half of them were published after 2010; and more than a half came from Europe. Products, and specifically short-term outcomes, were the most evaluated components, while inputs and long-term outcomes were the least often evaluated. Findings reveal a detached and narrow approach to evaluation. Quantitative methodology, experimental and pre/quasi-experimental designs, and questionnaire were the gold standards. A focus on adolescents and school settings for participant selection could be observed, as well as a bias towards public health risks. In the light of the growing interest in sexuality education evaluation, current practices, perhaps constrained by funding issues, lead to an evaluation that seeks mainly to prove rather than improve. Practical recommendations are suggested.