Checkmating HIV/AIDS as a Teacher Researcher

This story is about the author, a primary school teacher, who as a teacher-researcher wanted to improve the awareness of HIV/AIDS that has become a major challenge globally and has been on the increase over the past two-and-a-half decades, especially so, in sub-Saharan Africa. This is in spite of an “overflow” of HIV/AIDS information. The book documents two action research projects. Both of them are based on an emancipatory action research methodology. It has long been recognised that the HIV/AIDS pandemic requires more than medical attention and that the way in which teachers deal with HIV/AIDS education, especially at primary school level, becomes critical. A fundamental assumption of the author is that teachers play a critical role and are often the main adults, other than family members, with whom young people interact on a daily basis. Teachers can and must play a vital role in the development of valuable behavioural guidelines about reproductive health amongst the youth. This study views teachers, and more so primary school teachers, as important role players in the struggle to come to terms with HIV/AIDS..