Teachers’ Knowledge of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in a Portuguese County
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25753/BirthGrowthMJ.v35.i1.41359Keywords:
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, questionnaire, school performanceAbstract
Introduction and Goals: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common, although often overdiagnosed, disorder among children and adolescents that negatively affects their lives. Teachers play a key role in the academic success of these students, highlighting the importance of dispelling misconceptions in order to improve school performance. The goal of this study is to evaluate teachers’ knowledge about this disorder.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analytical study using an online, anonymous questionnaire administered to teachers from schools in a Portuguese city. The level of knowledge of each teacher was obtained through the median of the sum of the correct answers.
Results: A total of 131 teachers responded to the survey. Most participants reported having no prior knowledge of ADHD. The median score was 55% (IQR 47-64%). Higher scores were observed among younger teachers and those with less teaching experience (≤45 years old and ≤20 years of teaching; p <0,001 and p = 0,008 respectively), as well as among teachers working in private schools (p <0,001) and those who had received prior training in ADHD (p = 0,002).
Discussion and Conclusion: Although teachers play a vital role in recognition and management of ADHD, our findings indicate that their overall knowledge of the disorder is limited, with a median score of 55%. Several misconceptions were identified throughout the study that should be addressed. Training in this area is crucial to enhance teachers’ understanding of ADHD and to improve the educational strategies provided to students with this condition.
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