Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviour

ADHD is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood. Teachers are a valuable source of information with regard to referral and diagnosis of the disorder. They also play a major role in creating an environment that is conducive to academic, social and emotional success for children with AD...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Beryl Topkin, Nicolette Vanessa Roman, Kelvin Mwaba
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Education Association of South Africa 2015-05-01
Series:South African Journal of Education
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002015000200013&lng=en&tlng=en
_version_ 1828327225169018880
author Beryl Topkin
Nicolette Vanessa Roman
Kelvin Mwaba
author_facet Beryl Topkin
Nicolette Vanessa Roman
Kelvin Mwaba
author_sort Beryl Topkin
collection DOAJ
description ADHD is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood. Teachers are a valuable source of information with regard to referral and diagnosis of the disorder. They also play a major role in creating an environment that is conducive to academic, social and emotional success for children with ADHD. The aim of this study was to examine primary school teachers' knowledge of the symptoms and management of children in their classrooms who were diagnosed with ADHD. The participants were 200 South African primary school teachers (178 female, 22 male; mean age = 43 years) of children enrolled in Grades One to Four. A self-administered questionnaire, the Knowledge of Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale (KADDS), which measures the misperceptions and understanding of the disorder, was used to collect the data. The results indicated that overall, 45% of the teachers correctly identified the responses to the items asked in the questionnaire. The "don't know responses" accounted for 31% of responses, while 22% of the responses were incorrectly identified. Furthermore, teachers were more knowledgeable of the general associated features of ADHD than of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. A majority of teachers indicated that they had received training. These findings suggest a need to consider improving evidenced-based classroom interventions for ADHD among South African teachers.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T19:51:35Z
format Article
id doaj.art-12586813940a4af8b603d0cdd12634fa
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2076-3433
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T19:51:35Z
publishDate 2015-05-01
publisher Education Association of South Africa
record_format Article
series South African Journal of Education
spelling doaj.art-12586813940a4af8b603d0cdd12634fa2022-12-22T02:32:29ZengEducation Association of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Education2076-34332015-05-01352010810.15700/SAJE.V35N2A988S0256-01002015000200013Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviourBeryl Topkin0Nicolette Vanessa Roman1Kelvin Mwaba2University of the Western CapeUniversity of the Western CapeUniversity of the Western CapeADHD is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood. Teachers are a valuable source of information with regard to referral and diagnosis of the disorder. They also play a major role in creating an environment that is conducive to academic, social and emotional success for children with ADHD. The aim of this study was to examine primary school teachers' knowledge of the symptoms and management of children in their classrooms who were diagnosed with ADHD. The participants were 200 South African primary school teachers (178 female, 22 male; mean age = 43 years) of children enrolled in Grades One to Four. A self-administered questionnaire, the Knowledge of Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale (KADDS), which measures the misperceptions and understanding of the disorder, was used to collect the data. The results indicated that overall, 45% of the teachers correctly identified the responses to the items asked in the questionnaire. The "don't know responses" accounted for 31% of responses, while 22% of the responses were incorrectly identified. Furthermore, teachers were more knowledgeable of the general associated features of ADHD than of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. A majority of teachers indicated that they had received training. These findings suggest a need to consider improving evidenced-based classroom interventions for ADHD among South African teachers.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002015000200013&lng=en&tlng=enADHDBRICSchild developmentclassroom managementeducationeducational interventionslearning disabilitiesmanagement of ADHDprimary school teachers
spellingShingle Beryl Topkin
Nicolette Vanessa Roman
Kelvin Mwaba
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviour
South African Journal of Education
ADHD
BRICS
child development
classroom management
education
educational interventions
learning disabilities
management of ADHD
primary school teachers
title Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviour
title_full Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviour
title_fullStr Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviour
title_full_unstemmed Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviour
title_short Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers' knowledge of symptoms, treatment and managing classroom behaviour
title_sort attention deficit disorder adhd primary school teachers knowledge of symptoms treatment and managing classroom behaviour
topic ADHD
BRICS
child development
classroom management
education
educational interventions
learning disabilities
management of ADHD
primary school teachers
url http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002015000200013&lng=en&tlng=en
work_keys_str_mv AT beryltopkin attentiondeficitdisorderadhdprimaryschoolteachersknowledgeofsymptomstreatmentandmanagingclassroombehaviour
AT nicolettevanessaroman attentiondeficitdisorderadhdprimaryschoolteachersknowledgeofsymptomstreatmentandmanagingclassroombehaviour
AT kelvinmwaba attentiondeficitdisorderadhdprimaryschoolteachersknowledgeofsymptomstreatmentandmanagingclassroombehaviour