Lecturer perceptions about integrating HIV and AIDS education into the electrical engineering curriculum of an African University of Technology

Abstract

Statistics show that South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV and AIDS in the world. There is now a movement to introduce more HIV and AIDS education into all South African tertiary curricula. The purpose of this paper is to present lecturers’ perceptions about integrating HIV and AIDS education into the curriculum of the department of electrical, electronic and computer engineering of an African University of Technology. The study was done using a mixed methods approach and its paradigmatic position was interpretive. All lecturers in the department were purposively selected to complete open and closed questionnaires. It was found that a combination of failure to understand what integration entails and a lack of interest made lecturers dislike incorporating HIV and AIDS education in their engineering curricula. It was concluded that a culture that is prevalent among engineering lecturers that HIV and AIDS education should be addressed elsewhere is tantamount to claiming that teaching about the epidemic is irrelevant.