Challenges affecting effective teaching and learning of HIV/AIDS education integrated into Christian Religious Education in secondary schools in Kenya: case of Bungoma County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish chaJlenges in the teaching and learning of Christian Religious Education (CRE) that affect its provision and integration of effective HIV/AIDS education in secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish: the preparedness of the CRE teachers, the attitudes ofCRE teachers and students, the methods and instructional resources, the adequacy and relevance of the CRE syllabus and recommended textbooks in relation to integration of HIV/AIDS education into the CRE curriculum. All public registered secondary schools with CRE students from form one to four were 161 and were all targeted. The study also targeted all CRE teachers who've taught the subject from form one to form four and all four CRE students from Bungoma County. Stratified random sampling was used to select the 62 secondary schools that were used in the study while simple random sampling was used to select 102 teachers and 462 students who participated in the study. The study was guided by concepts and theories on factors affecting curriculum development and innovation by curriculum developers such as Farrant, Bishop, Gross and others. The research instruments for this study were questionnaires, document analysis guide and observation checklist. Data from questionnaires and observation checklist were quantitatively analysed using descriptive statistics while data from the documents were qualitatively analysed. The study found that there were challenges in the teaching and learning of CRE in secondary schools that affected its provision and integration of H1V/AIDS education in its curriculum. Some of the challenges were: the CRE teachers are not well prepared to provide and integrate HIVIAIDS education into the CRE curriculum, inadequate learning resources, inadequate use of the available learning resources, inadequate content on HIV/AIDS in the secondary school CRE recommended textbooks and inadequate organization of HIVIAIDS topics within the secondary school CRE syllabus. The study further established that both the CRE teachers and students had a positive attitude towards the role of the CRE in the provision of HIVIAIDS education. Consequently, the study recommended that the ministry of Education should organize for in-service training for CRE teachers in secondary schools on how to provide and integrate HIVIAIDS education in the CRE curriculum and the methods to use to teach effectively. The study also recommended that Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should review the secondary school syllabus and organize the topics in such a way that HIV/AIDS issues are taught at all levels (form 1-4). This study also recommended that the authors and publishers of secondary school CRE recommended textbooks to review them so that what is lacking on HIVIAIDS issues can be included in the revised editions. The study further recommended that the Ministry of Education should organize for provision of learning resources in secondary schools in Kenya. The study is significant because the recommendations made can be used to improve on provision and integration of HIVIAIDS education in the CRE curriculum in secondary schools in Kenya.