Knowledge and attitudes towards attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a comparison of teachers and teaching assistants

ABSTRACT

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rates in classrooms have increased considerably in recent years. Previous literature has acknowledged the significance of teachers’ knowledge and attitudes towards ADHD when making referral and intervention decisions. Using Mulholland, Cumming and Jung’s (2015) knowledge (SASK) and attitude (SASA) scales, ADHD training and perceived support were compared across public school teachers (n = 165) and teaching assistants (TAs) (n = 157) in the UK. Results indicated that teachers and TAs displayed adequate levels of knowledge, and TAs held better knowledge and more positive feelings towards ADHD than teachers. Training increased knowledge for TAs, but not for teachers, and training and support appeared important for both the teachers and TAs’ attitudes. Both teachers and TAs reported inadequate training and expressed a desire for further ADHD training, and a significant association was found between knowledge and attitudes for teachers only. The implications for these findings are discussed.     

Infant temperament moderates relations between maternal parenting in early childhood and children's adjustment in first grade

A differential susceptibility hypothesis proposes that children may differ in the degree to which parenting qualities affect aspects of child development. Infants with difficult temperaments may be more susceptible to the effects of parenting than infants with less difficult temperaments. Using latent change curve analyses to analyze data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care, the current study found that temperament moderated associations between maternal parenting styles during early childhood and children's first-grade academic competence, social skills, and relationships with teachers and peers. Relations between parenting and first-grade outcomes were stronger for difficult than for less difficult infants. Infants with difficult temperaments had better adjustment than less difficult infants when parenting quality was high and poorer adjustment when parenting quality was lower.     

Birth order and participation in school sports and other extracurricular activities

Argys, L.M., Rees, D.I., Averett S.L., & Witoonchart, B. (2006). Birth order and risky adolescent behavior. Economic Inquiry, 44(2), 215–233 demonstrated that a strong link exists between birth order and adolescent risky behavior. Using data on 10th graders from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, we extend the work of Argys et al. by examining the relationship between birth order and participation in school sports and other extracurricular activities. Our results suggest that having an older sibling is associated with an increased probability that males played baseball and football, were members of the school swim team, and participated in cheerleading. Female 10th graders with older siblings were less likely to engage in a variety of extracurricular activities including school band, community service, and yearbook. These results provide additional evidence that birth order is related to adolescent behavior.     

Learning About Baby: What New Mothers Would Like to Know

As part of a larger research project to evaluate a new model of care for first-time mothers in a community health-care setting, this study aimed to identify the preparation and information needs of first-time mothers. All first-time mothers attending a selection of community child health centers in Brisbane, Australia, who presented with no overt risk factors and with a thriving child, were invited to participate in the study. Three months after mothers entered the service, data were collected via telephone survey (N = 151). In addition, focus group interviews were conducted 7–9 months following entry to the service (n = 8). Participants reported seeking information from a variety of sources during pregnancy. Few participants felt well prepared for managing either the physical or emotional experience of early mothering or the essential maternal and child health issues and common problems in the early months. Findings suggest that current approaches to care and education may not meet the needs of first-time mothers. Different approaches are suggested to enhance women's maternal competence during the first few months of becoming a new mother.     

Benjamin Franklin and the glass Armonica

Benjamin Franklin was a man of remarkable versatility, especially well-known as a scientist, writer and politician. Less well-known are his activities as a musician. This article describes his invention of the glass Armonica, on which he played and for which he also composed music. In recent years there has been a revival of interest in instruments of this kind and an acoustical analysis has been made of the vibrating glasses in an attempt to explain their curiously haunting melody.     

Three reflections on assessing safety training needs: A case study

Needs assessment plays an important role in training and human performance improvement efforts, but the literature contains little research on this topic. This study extended previous research on the Performance Analysis for Training (PAT) model of needs assessment by examining its implementation to determine environmental and occupational health and safety training needs in a government agency. Using case study methodology and the lens of responsive evaluation, this study resulted in three perspectives about the actual needs assessment implementation. The three professionals' distinct areas of expertise (evaluation, health and safety, human resource development) informed the case in unique ways. The results can be used to improve the PAT model and also to give human resource development and performance improvement professionals insights about nuances of needs assessment practice.     

The pedagogical agent enhances mathematics learning in ADHD students

Gaining the attention is the first key step to enhance learning. In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as the most prevalent deficit in school age, the learners face some impairment in attention that requires appropriate intervention. An environment that embedded Pedagogical Agent in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has been designed to support learning through gaining and guiding attention to relevant information for these students. This study investigated how much the presence of pedagogical agent can improve learning in ADHD students. The learning environment was integrated with a pedagogical agent, named Koosha, as a tutor and motivator. This study employed a pretest and posttest experimental design with a control group. The statistical population was 30 boy students with ADHD in primary school from the North of Iran. The participants were randomly assigned to work with either an agent presenting a multimedia program or without an agent in mathematics. The results (Analysis of covariance -ANCOVA) suggested that experimental and control groups show a significant difference in mathematics achievement. According to this research, using the pedagogical agent can enhance the learning of ADHD students; so it can be considered as a valid school-base intervention for these students.     

Participation in health through the construction of encounters: a micropolitical approach

We assume that the construction of encounters that produce care is a participative practice in health. Drawing on different research that has explored care production from a micropolitical approach, we present a view of participation as embedded in everyday life and based on the construction of encounters and relationships. Our goal is to provide reflections for debate on participatory practice within different frames of action. Based on the analysis of different cartographic narratives generated by research on a reproductive health policy, we discuss some core elements for the construction of encounters that produce care. On the same lines as models of professional development based on professionals’ day-to-day experiences, we propose experimentation during the encounters and discussion about what happens in them, as both a reflective practices and forms of collective and participative knowledge production.     

Lifelong learning – lifelong returns? A new theoretical framework for the analysis of civic returns on adult learning

Education is associated with a wide range of positive outcomes such as higher wages and employability, but also with increased well-being or volunteering. While previous research focused mainly on returns on formal education in schools or universities, there has been a notable shift in recent years towards the analysis of returns on adult learning. While research has established theory-driven empirical evidence concerning labour market-related outcomes, it fails to identify and coherently explain non-monetary outcomes. The authors of this article review 13 empirical studies on different forms of civic participation as a return on engagement in adult learning. Individuals’ civic participation is one precondition to social cohesion and functioning citizenship at a societal level and thus a factor of high political and societal relevance. All the studies reviewed in this article suggest a positive association between adult learning and civic engagement. To what extent this association is causal, however, remains an open question. The authors argue that any efforts to identify such causality must begin with a number of theoretical assumptions about the mechanisms through which learning may influence civic participation. By linking the theoretical ideas of the studies reviewed with the literature on volunteering, the authors suggest a new theoretical framework, which may guide further research.