Teachers' knowledge of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

There are numerous studies on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and many of these studies point out the importance of teachers being part of the assessment and treatment process of children with this disorder. Despite this fact, little is known about teachers' knowledge about ADHD. The present study is an attempt to determine what educational background teachers have regarding ADHD, whether they have any experience in teaching children with this disorder in their classroom, and what teachers' general knowledge is like regarding essential concepts involved in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A questionnaire, based on a study by Jerome et al. (1994) comparing Canadian and American teachers' knowledge of ADHD, was introduced and administered to 173 teachers of schools in the greater Wellington region. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part (A) dealt with demographic background of the teachers as well as their possible training in ADHD, and their experience with children with this disorder in their classroom. It also addressed whether clinicians routinely contacted teachers as part of their assessment of children with ADHD. The second part (B) consisted of 24 questions regarding the basic concepts of diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. Results showed that these teachers had virtually no formal training about ADHD during their time at Teachers' College and slightly more (but still minimal) training since commencement of employment. Experience in teaching children with this disorder was also low, yet teachers generally believed that ADHD is a significant educational problem and that they could benefit from training about this disorder. Few teachers had been contacted by clinicians as part of their assessment procedure. Knowledge about the disorder as determined by Part B of the questionnaire was minimal in most areas with poor knowledge particularly in the areas of symptomatology and treatment of ADHD, and slightly better knowledge about the etiology of the disorder. Overall, the study showed the need and the motivation of teachers being trained in the area of ADHD. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed and some suggestions about future research made.