Students' Experience in an HIV/AIDS-Sexuality Education Programme: What they Learnt and the Implications for Teaching and Learning in Health Education

Abstract

This thesis is a case study that examines how teaching and learning Processes and socio-environmental factors influence student learning outcomes in an HIV/AIDS-sexuality education programme. The case study involved a teacher who had participated in a professional development programme for HIV/AIDS education, implementing a largely social constructivist pedagogical approach with a co-educational class of year 12 (ages 16-17) students. Predominantly qualitative methods were used and data sources included pre-test and post-test questionnaires, classroom observation, teacher interviews during and after completion of the unit of work, student interviews and student diary recordings. The thesis uses literature to provide a review of sexuality education in New Zealand over the last century, and a rationale for a predominantly social constructivist approach being appropriate for effective student learning in a sexuality context. The nature and structure of the teacher development programme that provided professional development for teaching and learning in HIV/AIDS education are outlined. As a result of the intervention, students' knowledge about the transmission of HIV increased as did their commitment to and self-reported use of condoms. While prior to the unit of work males typically held more stigmatising, judgmental views towards people living with HIV than females, after the intervention tolerance and non-discriminatory views increased for both genders, particularly for males. Similarly although there was initial evidence of a homophobic classroom culture, all females and most males expressed empathy and respect for the rights of individuals in relation to sexual diversity after the intervention. The social constructivist pedagogical approach appeared to be successful in this study. The case study highlights an important role for emotion in both the learning process and the establishment of a supportive affective environment. These factors appeared crucial in this study for the positive gender relationships, atypical of other reported classroom sexuality education studies, that appeared to powerfully influence learning. The teacher was central to achievement of effective learning through her pedagogical expertise and her ability to establish a quality emotional relationship with her students and between them. The study highlights the need for more research into the role of emotion in learning; how teachers' theoretical knowledge of learning processes can influence student learning; and how teachers, students and educational institutions can be liberated from hegemonic cultures of heterosexism.