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.
KeywordsAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Teachers’ KnowledgeMisconceptions of ADHD
AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics (2004). ADHD: A complete and authoritative guide. Elk Grove Village, I1: Author.
APA, American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Barkley, R. (2006). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. New York: Guilford Press.
Bekle, B. (2004). Knowledge and attitudes about Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A comparison between practicing teachers and undergraduate education students. Journal of Attention Disorders, 7, 151-161. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/108705470400700303
Brooka, U., Watembergb, N., & Gevac, D. (2000). Attitude and knowledge of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disability among high school teachers. Patient Education and Counseling, 40, 247-252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0738-3991(99)00080-4
Bussing, R., Schoenberg, N., & Perwien, A. (1998). Knowledge and information about ADHD: Evidence of cultural differences among African-American and white parents. Social Science & Medicine, 46, 919-928. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(97)00219-0
Bussing, R., Gary, F., Leon, C, Garvan, C., & Reid, R. (2002). General classroom teachers’ information and perceptions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Behavioral Disorder, 27, 327-339.
Canu, W., & Mancil, E. (2012). An examination of teacher trainees’ knowledge of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. School Mental Health, 4, 105-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12310-012-9071-3
Carey, W. (1999). Problems diagnosing attention and activity. Pediatrics, 103, 664-667. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.103.3.664
Curtis, D., Pisecco, S., Hamilton, J., & Moore, D. (2006). Teachers perceptions of classroom intervention for children with ADHD: A cross-cultural comparison of teachers in the United States and New Zealand. School Psychology Quarterly, 21, 171-196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/scpq.2006.21.2.171
Cooper, P., & Ideus, K. (2002). Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A practical guide for teachers. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.
Creswell, J. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, & evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
DuPaul, G., & Stoner, G. (2003). ADHD in the schools assessment and intervention strategies. New York: The Guilford Press.
DuPaul, G., & Weyandt, L. (2006). School-based intervention for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Effects on academic, social, & behavioural functioning. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 53, 161-176. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10349120600716141
Barbaresi, W., & Olsen, R. (1998). An ADHD educational intervention for elementary schoolteachers: A pilot study. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 19, 94-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004703-199804000-00006
Gall, M., Gall, J., & Borg, R. (2007). Educational research: An introduction (8th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education.
Ghanizadeh, A., Bahredar, M., & Moeini, S. (2006). Knowledge and attitudes towards attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among elementary school teachers. Patient Education and Counselling, 63, 84-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2005.09.002
Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J., & DeVries, M. (2011). Learning and Attention Disorders in Adolescence and Adulthood: Assessment and Treatment (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118093085
Herbert, J., Crittenden, K., & Dalrymple, K. (2004). Knowledge of Social Anxiety Disorder Relative to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Educational Professionals. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 366-372. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15374424jccp3302_18
Jerome, L., Gordon, M., & Hustler, P. (1994). A comparison of American and Canadian teachers’ knowledge and attitudes towards Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 39, 563-567.
Lerner, J., Lowenstein, B., & Lerner, S. (1995). Attention deficit disorders: Assessment and teaching. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Kos, J., Richdale, A., & Jackson, S. (2004). Knowledge about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A comparison of in-service and preservice teachers. Psychology in the Schools, 41, 517-526. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pits.10178
Ohan, J., Cormier, N., Hepp, S., Visser, T., & Strain, M. (2008). Does knowledge about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder impact teachers’ reported behaviors and perceptions? School Psychology Quarterly, 23, 436-449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1045-3830.23.3.436
Pelham J., & Evans, W. (1992). Teacher ratings of DSM-III-R symptoms for the disruptive behavior disorders: Prevalence, factor analysis, & conditional probabilities in a special education sample. School Psychology Review, 21, 285-300.
Richard, M. (2000). Dispelling the myths and misconceptions about ADHD. In: B. Guyer (Ed.), ADHD: Achieving success in school and life. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Soroa, M., Gorostiaga, A., & Balluerka, N. (2013). Review of Tools Used for Assessing Teachers’ Level of Knowledge with Regards Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In S. Banerjee (Ed.), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/50252
Sciutto, M., Terjesen, M., & Bender, A. (2000). Teachers’ knowledge and misperceptions of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 37, 115-122. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(200003)37:2 3.0.CO;2-5
Sciutto, M. J., & Eisenberg, M. (2007). Evaluating the evidence for and against the overdiagnosis of ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 1, 106-113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1087054707300094
Selikowitz, M., (2004). ADHD: The facts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Snider, V., Busch, T., & Arrowood, L. (2003). Teacher knowledge of stimulant medication and ADHD. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 46-56.
Vereb, R., & DiPerna, J. (2004). Teachers’ knowledge of ADHD, treatments for ADHD, & treatment acceptability: An initial investigation. School Psychology Review, 33, 421-428. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/074193250302400105
West, J., Taylor, M., Houghton, S., & Hudyma, S. (2005). A comparison of teachers’ and parents’ knowledge and beliefs about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). School Psychology International, 26, 192-208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0143034305052913
White, S., Sukhodolsky, D., Rains, A., Foster, D., McGuire, J., & Scahill, L. (2011). Elementary school teachers’ knowledge of tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, & attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Effects of teacher training. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 23, 5-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10882-010-9209-x
Weiss, G., & Hechtman, L. (1993). Hyperactive children grown up. New York: Guilford Press.
Weyandt, L., Fulton, M., Schepman, S., Verdi, G., & Wilson, K. (2009). Assessment of teacher and school psychologist knowledge of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 46, 951-960. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pits.20436