Abstract
Adolescents in secondary schools in Ibadan were involved in the design and utilization of their own story-flipchart for the teaching of reproductive health. Full participation of the students ranged from message development in the form of a story line picture conceptualization to conducting teaching sessions with the resulting materials. Discussion groups among high school students helped identify a priority concern of inappropriate sexual interaction. Subsequently, three groups of intervention secondary schools were formed: students in two schools were selected by their peers to develop and use the story-flipchart; students in two more schools were trained to use the materials developed by the first group; and teachers in two more schools were likewise trained to use the materials. Intervention during a three-month school term was monitored. Follow-up in-depth interviews with the educators and focus group discussions among members of the student audience were used to gather feedback on the materials and the process. The study showed that adolescents can identify a common problem to people of their age and can design a meaningful program that can teach prevention of such a problem. Focus group discussions among members of the audience confirmed that they understood the messages and liked the materials, especially since their peers developed these. Those students who developed the materials explained how the process enhanced their self-confidence, although in some cases they met with initial ridicule or resistance. All those involved using the materials hoped that such a process could be incorporated into the normal educational process in their schools. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the importance of involving young people in developing educational materials that address their perceived health problems.
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