TITLE:
Teachers’ Knowledge and Misconceptions of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
AUTHORS:
Keetam D. F. Alkahtani
KEYWORDS:
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Teachers’ Knowledge; Misconceptions of ADHD
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.4 No.12,
December
18,
2013
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.