AIDS knowledge, teaching comfort, and support for AIDS education among school teachers: a statewide survey

With development of an effective HIV vaccine still elusive (Blower & McLean 1994; McLean & Blower 1993), the control of HIV infection may depend on our ability to successfully educate diverse groups of adolescents in different communities about homosexuality and other sensitive subject matter. A statewide survey of California teachers (n = 835) indicated that teachers generally were knowledgeable about AIDS, felt comfortable presenting AIDS prevention information to students, and supported AIDS education in schools. Nevertheless, teachers' level of AIDS knowledge, comfort, and support varied by grade and other background characteristics. Elementary teachers were less knowledgeable (p < .001), felt less comfortable teaching (p < .001), and were less supportive of school-based AIDS education (p < .01). Teachers in urban schools (p < .05) and nonwhite teachers (p < .01) also had lower AIDS knowledge relative to other teachers. However, in comparison to surveys conducted in other states, California teachers appeared more knowledgeable of and progressive about AIDS education in the schools. As new school-based HIV and AIDS policies and prevention programs are formulated in the 1990s, teacher input will be critical to effective program development and implementation. To achieve success, it is important that differences in teachers' knowledge, comfort, and support be taken into consideration during both the development and implementation phases of these programs.