TEATRO EDUCADO: A Sarswela Theater-Based Sexuality Education Program Toward Sustained Gains in Pre-Service Teachers’ Sexual Health Self-Efficacy

Amid rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, teenage pregnancy, and limited access to quality sexuality education, the Philippines faces urgent challenges in promoting youth sexual health. This study implemented and evaluated TEATRO EDUCADO, a peer-led program in which pre-service teachers co-created and staged original Sarswela, a Filipino musical theater, on sexual health themes. In total, 138 pre-service teachers took part in peer-facilitated workshops, collaborative scriptwriting, rehearsals, and performances. Using a mixed-methods, single-group design, personal sexual health self-efficacy was measured with a retrospective post-then-pre survey immediately after the program and again at a four-month follow-up, complemented by focus group discussions and open-ended survey responses. From the retrospective pretest to posttest, mean scores increased for protection use (M = 40.70 to 46.04), STI/HIV testing (M = 20.90 to 25.63), and sexual limit-setting (M = 16.30 to 17.92), all p < .001 against a Bonferroni-adjusted alpha of .006; at the four-month follow-up, scores remained similar to posttest levels, with no statistically significant differences detected. Thematic analysis identified knowledge gains, social connectedness, emotional engagement, and personal growth, alongside implementation burdens. Although the design precludes causal attribution, the findings support further controlled evaluation of culturally grounded theater-based programs in teacher education.