A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment requirement for
the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and
Special Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2005. / The aim of the study was to conduct a formative investigation into the effectiveness of "Wildfire" as a preventative intervention for HIV/AIDS. "Wildfire" is an experiential activity-based psycho-educational workshop/game that guides participants through the process of 'exposure' to HIV/AIDS, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). It stimulates discussions and active reflections while imparting knowledge and information that goes beyond preventative awareness campaigns. The target population was Grade 9 learners. A representative sample of rural and township school contexts in the East London area of the Eastern Cape constituted the sites for intervention. The schools selected constituted a convenience sample and learner participation was voluntary, depending on parental permission. A total of 104 learners participated, 95 in the "Wildfire" intervention and 9 in the control group.
The methodology applied included a pre- and post-test questionnaire, behavioural observations and verbal responses during the intervention, as well as focus-group notes arising from the debriefing after "Wildfire".
The findings indicated that "Wildfire" was an effective and powerful psycho-educational tool for mediating an in-depth understanding of issues around HIV/AIDS and personal vulnerability for adolescents. The triangulation of methods provided evidence that the intended learnings of "Wildfire" were internalized to both group and individual levels. Furthermore, these points of planned learning were sustained over time. "Wildfire" provided psycho-social, emotional and cognitive 'maps' for individuals about how quickly HIV/AIDS can be spread, how to manage 'exposure* and how to treat those infected with the virus.
The study was situated within practices of primary health care and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Its relevance to answering research needs and corroborating current research findings has been discussed. The utility of the study for practical purposes, was that it informed the current and future practices of an NGO and provided information for the Education Department which could enrich the effectiveness of its current HIV/AIDS education in a cost-effective way.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/996 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Cromhout, Julie Lenore |
| Contributors | Nzima, D.R. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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