Effects of experiential storytelling approach on premarital sexual advance refusal assertiveness among Selected grade 11 pupils in Kabwe, Central province, Zambia

Abstract

In Zambia, the challenge to teachers to confront In-school adolescents’ failure to refuse premarital sexual advance aligns with the global efforts to eliminating new HIV infections. Thus, the purpose of study was to investigate the effects of the experiential storytelling approach on pre-marital sexual advance refusal and assertiveness among Grade 11 pupils in Kabwe, Central Province, Zambia. To the best of our knowledge, to date, no study on the improvement of in-school adolescents' pre-marital sexual Assertiveness in Kabwe, Central Province, Zambia, has been published. Based on the elements of Mezirow's 'transformative learning theory (2000), we used an experiential storytelling approach in an Assertiveness Training Program (ATP) led by a self-disclosed person living with HIV (sd-PLWHIV-led ATP) on 38 purposively sampled pupils with low assertiveness levels. A mixed-methods approach was employed in a quasi-experimental design, utilizing a pretest-posttest parallel convergent design to compare the effects against the control (N=34). Quantitative data analysis: We utilized SPSS version 25 to conduct ANCOVA analysis to observe the effects of the treatment while controlling for potential covariates. As an analytical lens, Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory (2000) explored and interpreted qualitative data using thematic analysis to gain deeper insights into quantitative analysis. Despite a few divergences, participants' self-reports, FGD, our observations and interviews converged and aligned with the positive findings revealed by ANCOVA analysis on the three proxies of anti-premarital sexual assertiveness. The study demonstrated impact with F(1, 69) = 145.776, p = 0.000, ηp² = 0.679 (67.9%) overall. The approach has shown that both girls and boys gained assertive skills to defend themselves against sexual abuse.  These findings suggest that the approach could be a variable complementary strategy for developing anti-premarital sexual behaviour among pupils. This paper contributes to the literature on developing assertiveness for anti-premarital sexual behaviour with the use of the sd-PLWHIV and their lived experiences as departure points to extant ATPs. Social desirability responses and obtaining data from a single site remains limitations to generalizability. However, based on its practicality, favorable safety profile, reasonably high participants' acceptance and teacher endorsement, it is recommended that sd-PLWHIV-led ATP be carried out among secondary school adolescents to provoke, develop, and sustain pupils' anti-premarital sexual behaviour.