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.