Teachers’ Knowledge and Misconceptions of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Keetam D F Alkahtani

doi:10.4236/psych.2013.412139

Abstract

Teachers can play a key role in identifying and supporting students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In order to fulfill this important role, it is imperative for teachers to have explicit knowledge about ADHD. The overall aim of this study is to investigate teachers’ knowledge and misconceptions of ADHD. Four hundred and twenty-nine (429) teachers participated. The Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (KADDS) along with a demographic questionnaire was used as the survey instruments to collect data. Descriptive statistics and correlation test were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that teachers’ knowledge of ADHD was insufficient. Teachers’ level of knowledge of ADHD was positively related to their prior training and experience with ADHD (i.e., the number of ADHD courses taken in college or graduate level, and the number of workshops pertaining to ADHD). Teachers’ level of knowledge of ADHD also correlated positively with their level of confidence in teaching a student with ADHD. In spite of a few limitations, the results of this study are valuable for identifying areas where there is a misperception or lack of knowledge among teachers.

Highlights

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically seen in individuals at a comparable level of development (APA, 2000)
Is there relationship between teachers’ level of knowledge of ADHD and their prior training and experience with ADHD?
Data gathered from the demographic questionnaire and Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorders Scale (KADDS) were analyzed using a computer statistical software program, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)

Summary

Introduction

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically seen in individuals at a comparable level of development (APA, 2000). The American Psychiatric Association, in 2000, estimated the prevalence rate of ADHD to be 3% - 7% among school-age children (APA, 2000). Children with ADHD are often non-compliant with commands, disruptive in the classroom, and impulsive in their behaviors. These children tend to be lagging behind academically and can require extra time and energy from their teachers. Because of these problematic behaviors, teaching children with ADHD can be a hard task for most teachers (Selikowitz, 2004)

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Conclusion