Socio-cultural complexities and their influence on the teaching about HIV & AIDS in Life Orientation in the Further Education and Training Phase=Imithelela yezinkinga zenhlalompilo yemiphakathi kanye nosikompilo lwayo ekufundiseni ngesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi esifundweni se-Life Orientation esigabeni seFurther Education and Training.

Abstract

South Africa has an alarming rate of HIV & AIDS infection. It remains the country most severely affected by the HIV & AIDS pandemic, with KwaZulu-Natal the most affected province. Therefore, the Department of Health turned to Life Orientation teachers to play a crucial role in teaching about HIV & AIDS, which aims to reduce infections, particularly among school-going children. However, the rate of HIV infection has remained high. As a result, it is crucial to examine socio-cultural influences and address the missing link in our knowledge and understanding of HIV & AIDS. This qualitative, narrative study within the interpretivist paradigm examined the socio-cultural complexities Life Orientation teachers face when teaching about HIV & AIDS in the Further Education and Training phase. A purposive sample of six Life Orientation teachers from six schools was selected. Data generation methods included lesson observations, collages, and narrative frames. A conceptual framework was underpinned by sociological theory, drawing on Griswold’s cultural diamond and its adaptation by Helleve et al., and thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. The findings identified the following socio-cultural complexities that negatively affected Life Orientation teachers teaching about HIV & AIDS: school guidelines that hinder teachers’ flexibility to teach about HIV & AIDS freely, a gendered culture of silence in the classroom created by religious and cultural taboos, contrasting social backgrounds between the teachers and learners, and the personal experiences of teachers. These socio-cultural complexities negatively affected the teaching about HIV & AIDS through cultural taboos that prohibited discussing sexual issues, the emotionally draining effects of such teaching, for which the teachers received no support, and language as a limiting factor. The teachers addressed these socio-cultural complexities by avoiding contradicting cultural and religious beliefs, using social media platforms, involving specialists, peer educators and role models, and assuming pastoral and parental roles. The study recommends facilitating workshops, seminars, and group discussions by the Department of Education to assist teachers who are not trained to teach or cope with the sensitive issues inherent in HIV & AIDS education. The Department should also design adult education programmes to educate communities about how social, cultural and religious matters affect HIV & AIDS education. Input from community members, traditional healers, and religious leaders should be incorporated into teacher training on HIV & AIDS education to foster community support for the teachers. In addition, learners’ perspectives on how socio-cultural complexities influence their learning of HIV and AIDS education need to be elicited. More information about HIV & AIDS should be included in the General Education and Training phase subjects to expose learners more rigorously to HIV & AIDS education activities at a younger age. Lastly, counselling and peer educator programmes in HIV & AIDS should be offered at tertiary institutions to help Life Orientation educators deal with the complex issues that arise when teaching about HIV & AIDS. These findings are relevant for policy development and the professional development of teachers regarding training and support in HIV & AIDS education.

IQOQA INingizimu Afrika inezinga eliphezulu kakhulu lokutheleleka ngesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi. Kuseyilona lizwe elihlaselwe kakhulu yisifo sesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi kanti isifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natali yisona esihamba phambili. Lolu cwaningo oluyikhwantinthethivu olulandayo ngaphansi kohlelomqondo oluhumushayo lwahlola izinkinga zenhlalompilo yemiphakathi kanye nosikompilo lwayo othisha beLife Orientation ababhekene nazo uma befundisa ngesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi esigabeni seFurther Education and Training. Isampula lothisha abayisithupha beLife Orientation lakhethwa ngenhloso ezikoleni eziyisithupha. Izindlelakwenza zokuthola imininingo zazibandakanya ukulalelwa kwezifundo, amakholaji kanye nenzinhlaka zokulanda. Ngenkathi kuhunyushwa imininingo kwasetshenziswa umqondosu osekelwe yinjulalwazi yenhlalompilo ethekela olwazini lwedayimane yosikompilo lukaGriswold njengoba lusetshenziswe uHelleve nabanye. Imiphumela yaveza izingqinamba zenhlalompilo yemiphakathi kanye nosikompilo lwayo ezithikameza othisha beLife Orientation uma befundisa ngesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi: imihlahlandlela yesikole, inqubo yokufela phakathi, ukunqatshelwa ngokwenkolo nangokosikompilo, izindlela zokuphila ezingafani, kanye nolwazi lothisha olubathinta ngqo mayelana nalesi sifo. Ucwaningo lwagqamisa ukuthi into eyisithikamezo yile yokuthi othisha abakutholi ukuxhaswa kanye nolimi abalusebenzisayo. Othisha bakhetha ukubhekana nalezi zingqinamba zenhlalompilo yemiphakathi kanye nosikompilo ngokuba bagweme izinkolelo ezimayelana nosikompilo kanye nezenkolo ngokusebenzisa izinkundla zokuxhumana kwemiphakathi okubandakanya ongoti, ozakwabo abafundisa nabo, ababambiqhaza ekuziphatheni kanye nokudlala indima yokukhokhela neyokuba abazali. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi uMnyango WezeMfundo isize ngezinhlelo zokuqeqeshwa, amasemina kanye nezingxoxo zamaqembu ukuze kusizakale othisha abangakuqeqeshelwe ukufundisa noma bakwazi ukubhekana nezingxenye ezingazinzile ekufundisweni ngesandulela ngculazi nangengculazi. UMnyango kumele wakhe izinhlelo zokufundiswa kwabadala ukuze kufundiswe imiphakathi ngezindlela izimo zenhlalo yabantu, usikompilo kanye nezenkolo ezingaba nomthelela kwisandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi. Ukungenelela kwamalungu emiphakathi, abaholi bendabuko, kanye nabaholi bezenkolo kumele kuxutshwe ekuqeqeshweni kothisha abafundisa ngesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi ukuze kube khona ukuxhaswa kothisha emiphakathini. Okunye futhi ukuthi kumele kube khona izinhlelo zokweluleka kanye nezokubambisana kozakwabo mayelana nesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ukuze kusizakale othisha beLife Orientation ekubhekaneni nezimo ezishubile uma ziqhamuka lapho befundisa ngesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi. Le miphumela ibaluleke kakhulu ekuthuthukisweni kwenqubomgomo kanye nasekuthuthukisweni kobuchwepheshe bothisha mayelana nokuqeqeshwa nokuxhaswa ekufundiseni ngesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi.