Effects of Spontaneous Collaborative Group Approach and REFLECT on Pupils’ Achievement in HIV/AIDS Education

Abstract

Primary School pupils constitute a sub-group of young people world-wide exposed to the risk of HIV infection despite various awareness programmes to combat HIV/AIDS prevalence as stated by Goal six of the millennium development goals (MDGs), about its prevalence. Increase in death rates showed that there was low correlation between pupils’ achievement and HIV/AIDS education. However, there were few studies conducted on HIV/AIDS education in Nigerian primary schools and these studies had failed to suggest specific teaching methods for teachers to use. This study investigated the effects of Spontaneous Collaborative Group Approach and Re-generated Freiran Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques (REFLECTS) on pupils’ achievement in HIV/AIDS education using gender as a moderator variable. The study adopted a pre-test, post-test, control group, quasi experimental design with a sample of 399 primary five and six pupils from nine public primary schools in Ogun State, Nigeria. The result showed a significant main effect of treatment on pupils’ achievement in HIV/AIDS education in which pupils exposed to the REFLECT and Spontaneous Collaborative Group Approach performed significantly better than their counterparts exposed to the conventional teaching method. In addition, gender had no significant main effect on pupils’ achievement in HIV/AIDS education. Based on the findings, it was recommended that primary school teachers teaching the core-subjects in which HIV/AIDS education had been incorporated should use participatory teaching strategies such as REFLECT and Spontaneous Collaborative Group Approach in their classes.