Abstract
M.Ed.
The phenomenon of HIV/AIDS is not restricted to the medical and behavioural sciences. The social implications of what is labelled as a pandemic, has influenced both sufferers and those in their realm of social intercourse. Education has become one of the most important strategies in an attempt to arrest the spread of the virus. The National Curriculum Statement compels educators to integrate HIV/AIDS across the whole school curriculum. The needs of educators, learners and the community must be considered in a cross-curricular HIV/AIDS education program.
A quantitative survey placed focus on educator questionnaires from which a situation analysis was drawn. The research indicated that 72 (n=72) participants contributed to the study. In the study for n=72, 76.4% were female and 23.6% male. The majority of the participants indicated their ethnicity as white (95.8%) with the remaining 4.2% indicating their ethnicity to be, Black, Indian or Coloured.
It was found that an integration of HIV/AIDS through an inter-disciplinary approach in the curriculum of secondary schools is not convincingly implemented. In general it was found that educators consider the integration of HIV/AIDS into the curriculum as an imperative part of education. The emphasis of integrating HIV/AIDS into the curriculum does not replace the role of parental intervention strategies in educating adolescents on the dangers of high risk health behaviour. Thus, much emphasis is placed on values education as a priority in HIV/AIDS prevention strategies to be implemented in the curriculum.
Secondly, it was found that the majority of respondents show a positive attitude and willingness to the integration of HIV/AIDS across the curriculum. In support of this inference, it was found that the majority of the participants believe that HIV/AIDS should not only be addressed in the Life Orientation class and most educators supported the concept of addressing HIV/AIDS throughout the curriculum.
Thirdly, it was clear that learner receptiveness towards HIV/AIDS education can be perceived as positive. However, the inference can be made that attitudes towards the HIV/AIDS stigma and prejudice is not successfully addressed in the current intervention initiatives.
Fourthly, the majority of educators indicated that the formal resources for teaching (viz. the textbook) did not include much relevant material on HIV/AIDS and that most educators employed the printed media as main source of information for their lessons. Furthermore, support of educators, especially through the integration of peer group leaders that should discuss the dangers of high risk behaviour with learners, is clear. Finally, the premise that an inter-disciplinary approach to HIV/AIDS (as well as other themes of education) is the underpinning element of authentic education, is strongly supported.
Dr. M.C. van Loggerenberg