Sources of information and selected variables and their relationship to teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

The purpose of this study was to develop a predictive model for teacher
knowledge about ADHD and teacher attitudes toward the disorder. The Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder Knowledge Assessment (ADHDK.A), developed by the researcher,
was used to determine the nature of the relationship between teacher knowledge and
attitudes regarding ADHD and various sources from which teachers are most likely to
obtain information. Four teacher characteristics (teaching position, experience teaching
children with ADHD, personal experience with ADHD, and confidence teaching children
with ADHD) were also investigated for their predictive value.
The sample was comprised of 225 classroom teachers of grades K to 5 from seven
elementary schools in Broward County, Florida. Teachers completed the ADHDKA
which consisted of multiple choice, true and false, and open-ended statements about
ADHD. Three research questions were posed before data were collected. Multiple
regressions were run to determine the degree of association between each of the criterion
variables (knowledge and attitude), and the 12 predictor variables investigated in this
study. The degree of correlation between teacher knowledge and teacher attitude was
examined using a Pearson product moment correlation. Qualitative analysis was used to
uncover emerging themes from teacher responses to the open-ended statements. Major findings in the study were as follows: (a) Primary (K- 2) teachers have a
higher level of knowledge about ADHD than do intermediate (3-5) teachers (-.159,
p < .05); (b) teachers who have personal experience with ADHD have a higher level of
knowledge about ADHD than do teachers with no personal experience with ADHD (.147,
p < .05); (c) teachers with a high level of confidence about teaching children with ADHD
have a higher level of knowledge about ADHD than do teachers with a low level of
confidence (.280,p < .01); and (d) a predictive model can be developed to determine
teacher knowledge about ADHD (R^2 = .139). The R-square indicates that 13.9% of the
variance in teacher knowledge can be accounted for by the variation of the combined
predictor variables. Although statistically significant (F [12, 188] = 2.521,p = .004), the
correlation is less than the predetermined critical effect size of 25% and may be of limited
practical significance (.139 < .25). Conclusions based on the fmdings from the study were: (a) Teachers do not have
adequate information regarding strategies to accommodate behavioral and academic
challenges for the child with ADHD; (b) teachers lack confidence teaching children with
ADHD; and (c) teachers do not receive adequate district-level, or school-based, administrative support (i.e., availability of appropriate ADHD in-service, assistance with
parent support, classroom management issues).
Noteworthy recommendations for those in positions of educational leadership
included the following: (a) more extensive ADHD training for pre-service teachers than is
presently required; (b) a comprehensive choice of ADHD workshops offered by school
districts to administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria staff, custodians, bus
drivers, and any other school personnel who may interact with children; and (c) a districtlevel
expert on ADHD for the specific purpose of advising administrators, teachers, and
parents about practical solutions to everyday ADHD-related issues.
Recommendations for future research included the following: (a) Investigate why
teachers with high levels of knowledge about ADHD have negative attitudes toward the
disorder; (b) employ a mixed between - within design assessing teacher knowledge and
attitude before and after attendance at an ADHD in-service; and (c) investigate the
connection between teaching position and teacher knowledge about ADHD.