Creation and evaluation of a web-based learning and discussion tool for elementary school teachers of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Nova Scotia

Abstract

ADHD is one of the most common childhood psychiatric disorders, with symptoms that are frequently displayed in the school environment. Past studies have measured teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours towards ADHD, but very few studies have aimed to change teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour through the implementation of an intervention. The goal of the present study was to determine if a web-based medium is an effective tool for supporting knowledge, attitude, and behaviour change in teachers of elementary school children with ADHD. Teachers (n = 20) from Nova Scotia were recruited through word of mouth. Of these participants, 19 completed a 7-week intervention that consisted of presentations, web-links and discussion board activities related to different aspects of ADHD. Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour were measured pre- and post-intervention. Teachers’ knowledge improved from pre- to post-intervention (p = 0.03). In terms of attitudes, although there was no change on the overall measure of attitude, there was a significant change on the Lack of Control (p = 0.001) and Perceived Competence (p = 0.000) subscales. A measure of teacher behaviour toward ADHD did not significantly change. Participants agreed that the content was presented in a way that was usable and easy to understand, the links and discussion board functions were useful, and they learned something new from each of the sessions. The study demonstrated that a web-based medium is a useful tool for knowledge creation and translation and has potential as a means of providing professional development to teachers about ADHD.