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 & M cLean 1994; McLean & Blower 1993), the control of HIV infection may de pend on our ability to successfully educate diverse groups of adolesce nts in different communities about homosexuality and other sensitive s ubject matter. A statewide survey of California teachers (n = 835) ind icated that teachers generally were knowledgeable about AIDS, felt com fortable presenting AIDS prevention information to students, and suppo rted AIDS education in schools. Nevertheless, teachers' level of AIDS knowledge, comfort, and support varied by grade and other background c haracteristics. 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 conducte d in other states, California teachers appeared more knowledgeable of and progressive about AIDS education in the schools, As new school-bas ed HIV and AIDS policies and prevention programs are formulated in the 1990s, teacher input will be critical to effective program developmen t and implementation. To achieve success, it is important that differe nces in teachers' knowledge, comfort, and support be taken into consid eration during both the development and implementation phases of these programs.