The aim of the study was to identify factors that contribute to teachers' experiences of teaching HIV and AIDS. A qualitative approach was used to gather in-depth information about teachers' experiences of teaching HIV and AIDS in the classroom. The results revealed a number of challenges faced by teachers in teaching life skills/HIV and AIDS.
Among the problems noted by the teachers, two main barriers emerged in teaching life skills/HIV and AIDS. Therefore, the findings revealed that teachers rarely teach about HIV and AIDS because of the various problems they face in teaching life skills/HIV and AIDS. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Training should implement and organize ongoing life skills/HIV and AIDS teaching training for all teachers in schools.
Because of the stigma attached to HIV and AIDS, Lesotho settled for life skills education (Monaheng, 2007). Therefore, the study examines the teachers' experiences of teaching HIV and AIDS in school.
Focus of the study 1
Following a discussion at the National Curriculum Development Center and with stakeholders at the Ministry of Education and Training (2007), Lesotho decided to develop a topic on tackling the HIV and AIDS epidemic. HIV and AIDS are a problem in Lesotho; the curriculum implementers looked for all possible ways to include sex education in the school curriculum, albeit in an implicit way; The purpose of sex education in schools is to provide schoolchildren with practical help in reducing HIV and AIDS, unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers.
This program includes sections on HIV and AIDS that teachers must teach to students (Chabela, 2010). The focus of this study is to explore teachers' experiences of teaching life skills in HIV and AIDS units. The researcher's past experiences with sexuality and her future teaching of sexuality education made her want to delve deeper into the way teachers teach HIV and AIDS in school.
The study aims to find out the experiences of teachers in teaching HIV and AIDS. The findings will guide teachers on what to do in order to effectively teach about HIV and AIDS.
Significance of the study 2
Their problems include language factors, cultural factors, lack of knowledge, parental and community resistance, inappropriate behavior of male teachers, HIV and AIDS status of teachers and religion (Masinga, 2007). From a teacher's perspective - In 2011, a researcher identified a child in her class who was being molested by her father. In addition, there were two students at the school whose parents reported that they were HIV positive.
Curriculum developers have finally decided to avoid using words like sex education and HIV and AIDS; settle for life skills, where the main aim is to implement HIV and AIDS in teaching (Motalingoane-Khau, 2010). There is still a lack of information for teachers, including those who are qualified, about how the teaching of HIV and AIDS should take place in schools. Therefore, this study investigates the way in which teachers experience the teaching of HIV and AIDS.
The research will inform the Ministry of Education about teachers' experiences in teaching HIV and AIDS. As a result, the study's findings will provide guidance on how to assist teachers in teaching HIV and AIDS.
Background to the country of Lesotho 3
Lesotho is also a member of the Common Monetary Area (CMA), which integrates Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland into the South African money and capital markets. NAC and HEARD (2009) report that, until the 1980s, almost half of all Basotho men worked in South African mines, accounting for about fifty percent of Lesotho's income. Lesotho citizens were largely dependent on grants from Basotho men who were largely employed on the South African mines; and the government of Lesotho derived the majority of its income from import duties.
Due to loneliness, Basotho men in South Africa began extramarital affairs, which led to their infection with HIV and AIDS. HIV and AIDS heavily claimed the lives of young Basotho men (NAC & HEARD, 2009). As a result, the biggest problem within Lesotho is rising unemployment, leading to poverty and an HIV and AIDS epidemic (Nyabanyaba, 2008).
Most families survive on agriculture, livestock and agriculture, thirteen percent of the land is suitable for planting. There is a short rail (freight) line connecting the national capital Maseru with Bloemfontein, South Africa; owned and operated by South Africa (the mill half a mile inside Lesotho is operated by Lesotho Flour Mills, Ltd.) Lesotho is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in which tariffs are eliminated on trade in goods with other countries members, which include Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.
Lesotho Education 5
Free primary Education 8
In addition, the WHO Division of Mental Health has recognized five necessary areas of life skills that are important in many cultures: decision-making and problem-solving; imaginative thinking and reflective thinking; communication and interpersonal skills; self-awareness and compassion; dealing with emotions and managing stress (Ministry of Education and Training Lesotho, 2007, p. vi). However, of all the broad topics mentioned, the study focuses on HIV and AIDS as part of life skills education. Therefore, the introduction of Life Skills Education in schools is a mediation curriculum that imbues schooling youth with important everyday life skills, with which they can competently cope with the aforementioned needs and problems.
Additionally, the field of health education has shown that children need another set of skills that are now generally referred to as "life skills." Gachuhi, (1999) found that life skills programs, family life education or reproductive health programs for children and youth often face opposition from parents, religious and community leaders, and from some youth themselves, who do not understand that they are in great danger. In Lesotho, because curriculum developers were avoiding unwanted terms like HIV and AIDS or sexuality education, they settled on Life Skills Education.
Moshabesha (2010) states that the Ministry of Education in Lesotho has introduced a new subject – Life Skills Education, as a compulsory subject for both formal and informal. Therefore, the purpose of Life Skills Education in Lesotho is to help young people face the challenges of everyday life, especially in relation to HIV and AIDS infection (Ministry of Education, 2005b).
Aims of the Life Skills curriculum in Lesotho 12
Key Questions 12
The main concern of the Life Skills Education curriculum is the prevention of HIV and AIDS (Chabela, 2010; Wamahiu, 2012). Curriculum-in-the-making - Being a teacher in the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Supporting Lesotho teachers to develop resilience in the face of the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
The study outline 12
Conclusion 13
