Evaluation of the effectiveness of the resilient educators support programme among HIV and AIDS affected educators in Gauteng

Abstract

The Resilient Educators support programme (REds) for HIV and AIDS affected educators was initiated by the University of the Northwest in 2006, following a research project in 2005 that highlighted the need for a support programme that addresses the challenges of educators affected by HIV and AIDS, as existing support structures were found to be inadequate. The REds programme is implemented in phases, and after the completion of each phase, the programme is modified to meet the needs of a broader audience of educators. Since 2006, the REds programme has been implemented by independent researchers in four South African provinces, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Northwest province and the Free State. This round of implementation included a comparison group, to allow researchers to compare data. The 2009 implementation of the REds programme was aimed at gathering comparative data to prove that the programme has a positive impact on the quality of life and resilience of educators. This was done in order to provide to the greater REds programme the opportunity to generalise the findings of the programme, and implement it on a national level. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the 2009 version of the REds programme to enhance the quality of life and resilience of HIV and AIDS affected educators in Gauteng. For the purpose of this research study, the researcher used applied and evaluative research. The mixed methods research approach was used, followed by the concurrent triangulation design. The qualitative and quantitative data carried the same weight in the results of the study, and the data sets were merged in the interpretation to produce well-validated conclusions. When comparing the pre- and post-test results, both the quantitative and qualitative data were used to prove or disprove the hypothesis. For the quantitative part of the study, the researcher made use of a quasi-experimental design namely the comparison group pre-test-post-test design. For the qualitative part of the study, the researcher used a collective case study design. Quantitative data was collected through two group administered standardised questionnaires, the Professional Quality of Life Screening (ProQol) and the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA). Qualitative data was collected by using a narrative, drawings and observations. Pre-test data was collected from the experimental and comparison groups prior to exposure to the REds programme. The experimental group participated in the programme and afterwards, both the experimental and comparison groups participated in a post-test. The participants were recruited from the Diepsloot Combined School and the Emfundiswene Primary School in Alexandra, Johannesburg, Gauteng, by using non-probability volunteer sampling. The quantitative empirical research findings in the experimental group data showed minimal differences between the pre- and post-test data for the ProQol test, and trivial differences in the RSA screening. The comparison group data also showed minimal differences, but the differences were in a downward trend. When comparing the experimental and comparison group findings, the experimental group’s results were slightly more positive than the comparison group, but not enough to draw valid conclusions. However, the qualitative findings showed that the participants in the experimental group found that the programme addressed their support needs as HIV and AIDS affected educators and they felt empowered with knowledge and skills that they lacked, thus making them more resilient. The researcher did not mark any changes in the comparison group data, thus indicating that they did not feel empowered. The researcher hypothesised the following: If the Resilient Educators support programme (REds) were implemented among HIV and AIDS affected educators, their quality of life and resilience will be increased. Conclusions drawn from the qualitative research findings indicated that the REds programme met the support needs of HIV and AIDS affected educators, as the experimental group indicated that they felt empowered and the comparison group did not indicate this. The quantitative data results were not significant enough to prove or disprove the proposed hypothesis, and thus the researcher recommends that the reasons for the insignificant test results from the questionnaires be investigated. AFRIKAANS : Die Resilient Educators Support Programme (REds), ’n ondersteunings program vir MIV-en VIGS-geaffekteerde opvoeders, is in 2006, deur die Noordwes-Universiteit ontwikkel. Die projek spruit uit navorsing wat in 2005 gedoen is en getoon het dat die uitdagings wat MIV-en VIGS-geaffekteerde opvoeders in die gesig staar nie aangespreek word deur die huidige ondersteuningstrukture nie, en dat daar ’n daadwerklike behoefte aan ’n ondersteuningsprogram bestaan. Die REds-program word in fases geïmplementeer, en in elke fase, word die program heraangepas om aan die behoeftes van ’n breër teikengehoor van opvoeders te voldoen. Sedert die begin van die projek in 2006, is die REds-program deur verskeie onafhanklike navorsers, in vier Suid Afrikaanse provinsies, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Noordwes en die Vrystaat geïmplementeer. Die 2009-implementering van die REds-program, het ’n vergelykende groep ingesluit, wat navorsers instaat stel om die data wat ingesamel word te vergelyk met ’n groep wat nie ’n intervensie ontvang het nie. Die 2009-implementering van die REds-program se doel was om vergelykbare data in te samel, en sodoende te bewys dat die program ‘n positiewe impak op die lewensgehalte en veerkragtigheid van opvoeders het. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te evalueer hoe doeltreffend die 2009-weergawe van die REds-program die lewenskwaliteit en veerkragtigheid van MIV-en VIGS geaffekteerde opvoeders in Gauteng verbeter. Vir die doeleindes van hierdie navorsing het die navorser toegepaste en evaluerende navorsing benut. Die gemengdemetode-navorsingsbenadering en die samewerkende triangulasie-ontwerp is benut. Die kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data dra ewe veel gewig in die resultate van die studie. Datastelle is ook saamgevoeg tydens die interpretasie daarvan ten einde deeglik gestaafde gevolgtrekkings te maak. Tydens die vergelyking van die voor- en na-toetsresultate, is die kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data benut om die hipotese te bewys of te weerlê. Vir die kwantitatiewe deel van die studie het die navorser ‘n kwasieksperimentele ontwerp, genaamd die groep-vergelykende voor-toets-na-toetsontwerp benut. Die kwalitatiewe deel van die studie is gedoen met behulp van die kollektiewe gevallestudie-ontwerp. Kwantitatiewe data is verkry deur twee groepgeadministreerde gestandaardiseerde vraelyste, die Professional Quality of Life Screening (ProQol) en die Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), te gebruik. Kwalitatiewe data is ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van ’n narratief, tekeninge en observasies. Voor-toets-data is ingesamel by die eksperimentele en vergelykende groep. Die eksperimentele groep het die die REdsprogram deurloop en beide groepe het daarna deelgeneem aan die na-toets. Die deelnemers van die Diepsloot gekombineerde skool en die Emfundiswene laerskool in Alexandra, Johannesburg is by wyse van ’n nie-waarskynlikheids steekproeftrekking gekies, deur van die vrywillige steekproeftegniek gebruik te maak. Die kwantitatiewe navorsingsbevindinge van die eksperimentele groep het minimale verskille tussen die voor- en na-toets-data getoon vir die ProQol-toets, en niksbeduidende verskille is opgemerk in die RSA-toets. Die vergelykende groep se data het ook minimale verskille tussen die voor- en na-toets getoon, maar hierdie veranderings was negatief. In ’n vergelyking tussen die eksperimentele en vergelykende groep se resultate, is bevind dat die eksperimentele groep se uitslae meer positief van aard was as die van die vergelykende groep. Hierdie verskil is egter so klein dat geen werklilke gevolgtrekkings gemaak kan word nie. Desnieteenstaande het die kwalitatiewe bevindinge getoon dat die program wel aan die eksperimentele groep se ondersteuningsbehoeftes voorsien het. Die deelnemers het aangedui dat hulle bemagtig is met die kennis en vaardighede wat hul benodig om hul veerkragtigheid te verhoog. Die navorser het egter geen veranderinge in die vergelykende groep se data waargeneem nie, wat dus beteken dat die vergelykende groep nie bemagtig is nie. Die navorser het die volgende hipotese geformuleer: Indien die Resilient Educators support program (REds) onder MIV-en VIGS-geaffekteerde opvoeders geïmplimenteer word, sal hul lewenskwaliteit en veerkragtigheid verbeter. Gevolgtrekkings gemaak na gelang van die kwalitatitewe navorsingsbevindinge toon aan dat die REds-program wel die ondersteuningsbehoeftes van die opvoeders aanspreek, aangesien die eksperimentele groep aangedui het dat hulle bemagtig voel, in teenstelling met die vergelykende groep wat nie bemagtig voel nie. Die kwantitatiewe navorsingsbevindinge was egter van so ’n aard dat die navorser dit nie kon benut om die hipotese waar of vals te bewys nie. Na gelang van hierdie bevinding beveel die navorser onder andere aan dat die rede(s) vir die niksseggende kwantitatiewe toetsresultate verder ondersoek word.