A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of A Teacher and Eight Students Learning About HIV/AIDS through a Child-to-Child Curriculum Approach

Abstract

This was a narrative inquiry which explored experiences of a teacher and eight students learning about HIV/AIDS through a child-to-child curriculum approach in a primary school in Kenya. The research puzzle emerged from my wonders about experiences o f teachers in Kenya who were expected to implement a mandated HIV/AIDS curriculum. By using a child-to-child approach, I created two new curriculum puzzles in the classroom. What are the experiences of a teacher teaching the HIV/AIDS curriculum using a child-to-child curriculum approach? What are the experiences of children learning the HIV/AIDS curriculum using a child-to-child curriculum approach? Findings show that teaching o f HIV/AIDS curriculum can be successful taught by involving teachers, parents and children in talking about HIV/AIDS in the in-classroom, out-of-classroom and out o f school places. The second finding challenges the assumption that HIV/AIDS curriculum is a document prepared by experts for use by teachers in the classroom. This study shows that HIV/AIDS curriculum outcomes were best met when curriculum was narratively constructed and reconstructed in the classroom through experiences that the teacher and students lived. The third finding challenged the belief among teachers that teaching about HIV/AIDS may offend the community taboos or that they will be accused of promiscuity and loose morals. The teacher in this study had support from parents and the community demonstrated by their willingness to be involved in the discussion. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. The fourth finding challenged the belief that children exposed to sensitive issues around sexuality would be tempted to indulge in sexual activities. The finding shows that children, when supported, were capable o f talking about sexual issues and making responsible choices to protect themselves and educate others. The narrative threads resonating across eight children’s stories demonstrated this fourth finding. The fifth finding shows that teaching HIV/AIDS requires a teacher who accepts that children possess information about HIV/AIDS and adopts a constructivist teaching approach. The teacher who was willing to shift her teacher practices in relation to the children, subject matter, and the milieu. The sixth finding shows that empowered children are able to talk about sexual harassment in the school and in the community.