Professional Development for Teachers of Students with ADHD and Characteristics of ADHD

Abstract

Inservice education has the potential to provide teachers with knowledge and skills that are necessary to manage challenging classroom behavior and improve academic and social/emotional outcomes. To assess the effectiveness of 3 inservice programs that focused on knowledge, understanding, and/or functional-assessment interventions, we identified 49 educators of students with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 196 of their students. Three months after implementing all programs we found improved teachers’ attitudes about and confidence in teaching students with ADHD and improved self-reported ability to provide accommodations. Our findings were documented differentially in a comparison of program type and by real changes in teaching practices and in ratings and observations of student behavior.

Teachers’ Reported Use of Instructional and Behavior Management Practices for Students with Behavior Problems: Relationship to Role and Level of Training in ADHD

“…This finding is consistent with a growing body of experimental research that has shown that providing general education teachers with specialized training (e.g., professional development sessions) related to supporting students with behavior problems increases their use of effective instructional and/or behavior management approaches (Miranda et al 2002;Murray et al 2008;Owens et al 2005;Zentall and Javorsky 2007).…”

“…This latter finding suggests that providing general education teachers with training in how to work effectively with students with ADHD may increase their use of recommended behavior management approaches and instructional supports and strategies. Further experimental work is needed to confirm this hypothesis (e.g., Zentall and Javorsky 2007). Very few of the general education teachers surveyed in the present study had received moderate or extensive preservice or in-service training in ADHD.…”

“…Finally, although our findings indicate that there is an association between general education teachers' level of training in ADHD and their self-reported practices, experimental studies are needed to determine whether providing teachers with moderate or extensive training in ADHD has an effect on their use of recommended practices (e.g., Zentall and Javorsky 2007). Similar to Alverez (2007), however, our results suggest that it is important to consider prior levels of specialized training when studying factors that are associated with teachers' instructional and behavior management practices.…”

“…Recent Child Youth Care Forum (2011) 40:193-210 195 experimental studies have demonstrated that providing general education teachers with additional training relating to teaching students with ADHD increases their use of effective practices (Miranda et al 2002;Zentall and Javorsky 2007). For example, Zentall and Javorsky (2007) reported that an in-service training program that promoted teachers' ''knowledge and understanding'' of ADHD increased teachers' use of various instructional supports and positive behavior management strategies. Generally, these findings suggest that teachers with more extensive training in ADHD may engage in greater use of effective or recommended approaches when working with students with behavior problems than teachers with little or no training in ADHD.…”

Stress des enseignants envers l’intégration des élèves présentant des troubles du comportement

“…Ces résultats vont dans le même sens que plusieurs études qui montrent que les activités ponctuelles de développe-ment professionnel des enseignants portant sur la gestion des comportements difficiles en classe produisent certains effets positifs à court terme, mais qu'elles semblent insuffisantes pour instaurer des changements à long terme dans les attitudes et les pratiques des enseignants (Arcia, Frank, Sánchez-LaCay et Fernández, 2000;Giallo et Hayes, 2007;Zentall et Javorsky, 2007) et qu'un soutien est nécessaire pour produire des changements (Sawka, McCurdy et Mannella, 2002). Selon Rousseau et ses collègues (Rousseau, Massé, Bergeron, Carignan et Lanaris, 2013), « il ne suffit pas de dire aux enseignants "quoi faire", mais bien de leur offrir des activités, des outils et du soutien pour qu'ils puissent réfléchir à leurs pratiques et aux façons d'exploiter leurs nouveaux savoirs dans leur contexte spécifique » et de les adapter aux besoins particuliers des élèves.…”