engleski

Teachers' Knowledge of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as one of the most common disorders in child and adolescent psychiatry, has had a significant effect on a child’s academic and psychological difficulties. A significant number of foreign studies have surveyed teachers’ knowledge about ADHD, while scant attention has been paid to it in Croatia. The aim of this study was to determine (1) the teachers' level of knowledge about ADHD and (2) the impact of length of service, training, and available professional support on their knowledge about ADHD. 233 elementary school teachers from the Primorsko-Goranska County in the Republic of Croatia were selected on a convenience basis. They anonymously completed a self-report questionnaire on ADHD. The teacher age range was between 22 and 65 years (M = 42.59 ; SD = 10.89), and there were both elementary and secondary teachers. The Questionnaire (IRA-AGHN) to Assess Teacher' Knowledge of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Soroa, Balluerka, Gorostiaga, 2014) was adopted and used. The factor analysis revealed a 4 factor-structure (Etiology of ADHD, Symptoms of ADHD, General information about ADHD, and Treatment of ADHD) with an adequate internal consistency. The results suggest that the used instrument to measure the teachers’ level of knowledge of ADHD is valid and reliable on the Croatian sample of teachers. Furthermore, Croatian teachers expressed a moderate level of knowledge of ADHD. The results have confirmed the existence of some knowledge gaps, particularly in etiology and treatment of ADHD. Teachers’ knowledge of ADHD were significantly correlated with their perceived level of competence to teach children with ADHD in regular class. Teachers’ self-efficacy, gender, prior exposure to an ADHD child, working position, and pre- service training in ADHD were all positively related to ADHD knowledge. Implications of these findings for in and pre-service teacher training are highlighted.

teachers ; pupils ; children ; ADHD ; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

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