D.Ed. / HIV/AIDS presents a major challenge in South Africa. HIV/AIDS was officially diagnosed as a disease in South Africa since the early 1980’s. Initially people did not want to acknowledge the existence of HIV/AIDS. In South Africa there are many people living with HIV and some are already dying of AIDS-related diseases. This study investigated the perceptions of learners, educators, and Department of Education officials on the influence of HIV/AIDS in schools in informal settlements. The aim of this study was firstly, to establish what the perceptions were of learners, educators and Departmental officials about the influence that HIV/AIDS has on the education sector; secondly, to describe how the research would be undertaken; thirdly, to establish ways how to integrate HIV/AIDS issues in the curriculum that will provide specific skills and information to help avoid risky and immoral sexual behaviour and to reduce the spread of HIV and other STI’s; and ultimately, to strive towards achieving a tendency to promote abstinence. The naturalistic research design was used to establish what these perceptions were of the influence HIV/AIDS have on learners, educators, and Department of Education officials. Focus group interviews and discussions, observations and field notes were the data sources. The focus group discussions were tape-recorded for transcriptions. Transcriptions were studied and analysed; different colours were used for decoding and clustering of the findings, in order to identify themes and categories. The findings of this study confirm that the respondents from the education sector, more specifically the learners, the educators, and the officials in service of the Department of Education, are aware of the enormous influence that HIV/AIDS have on education in general and schools more specifically. The findings also represent the daunting challenge that South Africa as a society has. The influence stemmed from different dimensions as represented in the categories and themes that were identified, but they are all interrelated. The most serious challenge that South Africa faces in this era of HIV/AIDS however, is still poverty. South Africa is a country of widespread and persistent poverty and therefore deep inequalities exist. Poverty and HIV/AIDS are interrelated. Poverty provides the context for AIDS and AIDS exacerbates poverty. Poor households are more likely to feel the impact of AIDS resulting in an increase in the extent of poverty. Poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic are two of the most devastating diseases ever to hit South Africa. The influence thereof is now beginning to sink in among most communities. Already the influence of living with HIV/AIDS in the midst of poverty is being felt in hundred of thousands of house¬holds across the country. Education is a sector central to human development. Increasing evidence of HIV/AIDS will reduce the capacity of learners to attend school and to learn. Expansion of enrolments and improvement of teaching will be eroded by staff losses and reduced institutional efficiency. All this is experienced at the time when the Department of Education has rationalised teacher-training colleges and very few students register for a teaching degree at higher institutions of learning. Current shortages of educators in the schools as a result of HIV/AIDS compromise the quality of education in our country and undermine the fundamental objectives of ensuring that there are sufficient numbers of skilled people in the economy. The significance of this study is situated in breaking the silence, making participants talk about the subject of HIV/AIDS openly. This in itself is a major breakthrough in any research that has thus far been undertaken, and the facts that were uncovered and discussed in the interviews contribute hugely to the body of scientific knowledge on this monstrous disease. The further contribution of this thesis is to be found in the written up findings, conclusions, recommendations and the suggestions provided in Chapter 5 that will inculcate abstinence and ultimately enforce disclosure of one’s status. It is the researchers’ belief that this study will further help to mitigate the influence of HIV/AIDS within the education sector and throughout the Republic of South Africa.

Because of the extent and immediacy of the problem of AIDS in the RSA and because this disease, which is mainly transmitted by voluntary human behaviour, has no cure, the need for educational programmes to curtail the spread of AIDS is seen as of prime importance in the RSA. At present there is little published research about the levels of knowledge of AIDS attained by pupils in junior and senior schools, nor of the attitudes they have towards the disease. It was felt that without this information, it would be difficult to develop appropriate AIDS education programmes. In this research, questionnaires were administered to investigate the knowledge of and attitudes towards the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - (AIDS) - of the standards 5, 7 and 9 pupils at four private schools. These three age groups were chosen in order to look at the possible effects of the maturation process on these pupils' perceptions of AIDS. A questionnaire was also completed by selected school personnel to provide background information on any existing AIDS education in the schools. A pilot study was carried out with a small group of pupils in order to establish the areas of concern being expressed by senior school pupils. The results of the survey have shown that while there is a gradation in the knowledge levels of the pupils in standards 5, 7 and 9, there is a need for more intensive teaching of AlDS at or before the transition from junior to senior school. That the pupils perceive a need for school-based education, particularly in order to acquire knowledge of prevention strategies, was evident. The attitudes of the majority of the pupils towards AIDS sufferers were found to be tolerant or circumspect, although there was evidence of intolerance from some quarters. The fears of the pupils were found to stem largely from the unique characteristics of the disease and a lack of knowledge of how to protect themselves against it. In developing guidelines for a programme of AIDS education for the South African schools, the programmes and interventions currently operative in the USA, Great Britain, Europe and two African countries were considered. This research has raised a number of questions, the answers to which will he important in the development of future programmes of AIDS education

In response to the crisis created by the HIV and AIDS pandemic in this country, South African education departments are demanding that educators play a significant role in creating awareness amongst children and adults alike. This task is challenging for teachers who are already working under the pressure of demanding workloads. In order to achieve the intended outcome of AIDS awareness, training of highly efficacious teachers is required. The education module, PSED201, Issues in School and Society, offered as part of a BEd degree for in-service mathematics and science teachers at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, provides one such training opportunity. This study investigates the impact of this module on the self-efficacy of 128 teachers with respect to their role as HIV and AIDS educators. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used and data were collected by means of questionnaires and interviews. The results suggest that there has been an improvement in all four areas of teacher self-efficacy examined in this research. As such, it may be concluded that an important outcome of this intervention has been achieved. As highly efficacious teachers are more likely to influence the behaviour of their learners, the findings of this research should make a meaningful contribution to the debate around AIDS education in South African schools.

This study explores whether and how Mabutho’s (The UCCSA men’s organization) teachings on masculinities can mediate HIV prevention in the Mozambique Synod of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA). It begins by showing the importance of Mabutho in church and society in order to establish whether this male-dominated Christian organization can play a role in HIV prevention. The study is premised on the growing literature which suggests that organized religion (especially Christianity and Islam)*[¹], which are the main religious institutions in the world, and in Africa in particular, have been the birth place for the patriarchal ideologies which are critical in the promotion of the HIV pandemic. Through a close analysis of Mabutho’s teachings, the study will show that though most of Mabutho’s teachings are sustained by a patriarchal ethos, Mabutho have agency, and can be an asset in the prevention of the HIV pandemic. It further argues that Mabutho, just like other men’s organizations which play a pivotal role in the life of many churches, can be used as a space for the liberation of harmful notions of masculinities in the era of the HIV pandemic. The study concludes by recommending that the UCCSA in Mozambique improve in the pre- and post-marital teachings on marriage and sexuality. *[¹] See Manda, D. (2009). “Religion and the Responsibility of Men in Relation to HIV and Gender Based Violence: An Ethical Call”. In Journal of Constructive Theology: Gender, Religion, and Theology in Africa, 15 (2). 23-40; and Camody, D. (1994). Response to 101 Questions about Feminism. Great Britain, 95. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology). March 1993 / There are many AIDS prevention programmes which are being conducted in South Africa at present. This research examined one specific programme to assess whether it resulted in a change in attitudes (to AIDS, to homosexuality and to the sexuality of black people), using the information processing approach to attitude formation and change of Fishbein and Ajzen (1975). [Abbreviated abstract. Open document to view full version] / MT2016

This study evaluates the effect of an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevention program on the incidence of gonorrhea among the enlisted men in the 105th Battalion of the Honduran Army. The education program was initiated as a result of the high incidence of AIDS in Honduras (more than half of all of the known cases of AIDS in Central America are in Honduras). The AIDS prevention program for this battalion was initiated in July, 1989 and consists of lectures, videos, and printed materials concerning the nature of HIV/AIDS. The program emphasized the use of condoms as a means of avoiding infection: thus the incidence of gonorrhea would also be expected to decrease as a result of the program. The program is presented to new recruits as a portion of their three month basic training in first aid and personal health. Although the AIDS education program provided to the recruits entering the 105th Battalion is similar to that given to recruits entering other battalions, in only the 105th is the program continued after graduation from basic training, where quarterly refresher courses are given throughout the enlisted men's service career. This retrospective observational study compares the prevalence of gonorrhea among the 105th and three other military units that did not receive ongoing AIDS educational program. The prevalence of gonorrhea was used as an indicator of the effectiveness of the program because its prime route of infection (intimate sexual contact) is the same as HIV, and because gonorrhea is easily detected. The study covered the period between January 1990 and December 1993. The data in the study were provided by the Honduran Army and consists of summaries of the results of periodic inspections conducted by military physicians on all enlisted men at approximately 6 week intervals. In these inspections, the enlisted men are medically examined for the presence of signs of gonorrhea. The data include the date of the inspection, the number of soldiers examined, and the number cases of gonorrhea detected. In the Honduran Army, the incidence of gonorrhea has declined significantly in the last four years. It is speculated that at least three contributing factors are responsible: the free distribution of condoms; the increasing awareness and fear of AIDS; and, the specific AIDS education campaigns presented to the enlisted men. The results of this study indicate that significant reductions in the prevalence of gonorrhea occurred in all military units studied and that the rate of reduction in the unit that received the ongoing educational campaign was greater than in the units that did not receive the educational campaign. The study indicates that the provision of ongoing AIDS education to the Honduran enlisted soldiers results in a decrease in the prevalence of gonorrhea. The study also demonstrated the feasibility of conducting research on sexually transmitted diseases in military units. / Graduation date: 1994

This critical interpretivist case study explored students’ experiences of an HIV/AIDS service learning module run in the School of Psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study was originally initiated in response to a request from CHESP to evaluate this module. It has since become an independent study with the purpose of exploring the kind of learning (HIV specific) that students gained from the module. A number of studies have attempted to explore students’ experiences of service learning through students’ evaluations, or have focused on the effects of the community intervention on the community. These are often of a quantitative nature and do not engage with students' experiences on a deeper level. They also tend to focus on measuring students’ knowledge and understandings of HIV/AIDS. The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore whether students had experienced a genuine engagement in the service learning module, focusing on their level of reflection on their identities, their understandings of self and other, and their understandings of their own location within the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Furthermore, there would need to be evidence of Freireian critical consciousness. Using the voicecentred relational method of analysis, reflective essays of the 20 students who completed the service learning module in 2006 were analysed. The findings of the study revealed that most of the students had engaged at this level and were able to reflect on a number of critical issues that are pertinent to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This study provides the impetus for further research to be conducted in the field of service learning, as it is a valuable educational tool for getting students to engage critically and openly with issues around sexuality and HIV. Moreover, the findings of this study should be used to promote service learning with a focus on HIV/AIDS in other degree programmes, as well as other tertiary institutions. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study describes how AIDS prevention education programs were constructed, delivered, and implemented in Vancouver between 1983 and 1994. Biodeterministic models of disease are examined through a historical analysis of documents that include newsletters, minutes of board meetings, policy reviews, annual reports, and personal journals. This study assumes that AIDS is as much a sociocultural phenomenon as it is biological. The findings suggest that present educational guidelines for AIDS prevention are unable to identify what messages should be communicated and fail to identify to whom they should be conveyed. This study does not recommend the use of biodeterministic models of AIDS prevention education which reflect plague metaphors. Instead, culturally relevant strategies need to be developed throughout all aspects of AIDS prevention curricula.

The purpose of this study was to initiate integration of HIV and AIDS curriculum in / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This research is a qualitative study of a short project set up to explore the uses of a visual arts-based approach for addressing HIV and AIDS through teacher development. It was undertaken at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in the face of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. It responds to the suggestions that teachers need to explore their own understanding, attitudes and perceptions of the disease if they are to deal confidently with the demands it places on them as educators in schools. Thirteen preservice teachers, who had enrolled in a guidance course, used photographs and drawing to capture their views of HIV and AIDS and to construct messages for their peers. Methods for the approach were adapted from the work of Ewald and Lightfoot (2001) and from Wang’s (1999) photo-voice. A visual arts-based approach was chosen for its potential to simultaneously engage the mind, body and emotions (Weber & Mitchell, 2004). Drawing on the conceptual work of Banks (2001), Hall (1997) and Fairclough (1995), the photo texts were then analysed by the researcher who saw them as socially and culturally embedded constructions and was interested in how they were affected by and could have an impact on culture and social discourses. Reflections on the photo texts and their associated processes by both the researcher and pre-service teachers lead to suggestions as to the pedagogic possibilities of using a visual arts-based approach in education to address HIV and AIDS. The thesis concludes with discussion of what a visual arts-based approach can contribute to HIV and AIDS in teacher education and comments on the challenges and limitations of such an approach. / Thesis (PhD.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.