Abstract:
Our research shows that social science university trained Ghanaian student/teachers do
have the knowledge, confidence, and willingness to address HIV/AIDS issues in their teaching,
yet they do not. The reason, we argue, is that teachers have little incentive to address
contentious issues in the classroom. Questionnaires were administered to 382 University of
Education, Winneba students, 61 of whom were just returning from year-long placements. We
conclude with the argument that the rethinking of the current dominant approach to curriculum
is necessary and that a curriculum that will better support teachers in addressing controversial
issues such as HIV/AIDS in the classroom should be considered.
Keywords: Teacher Preparation; HIV/AIDS Education; Addressing Social Issues; Critical
Pedagogy
