Primary school teachers’ misconceptions about Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Nekemte town, Oromia region, Western Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE: Teachers’ misconception on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in general and the implementation of effective educational strategies for children with this problem in particular is one obstacle that largely impacts the academic and overall success of school children with this problem. In Ethiopia, despite there are thousands of school children with this ADHD, no studies have been conducted to examine school teachers’ understanding about problem. This research was therefore aimed to investigate primary school teachers’ misconceptions about ADHD in Western Ethiopia. RESULT: In this study, 76.2% of respondents had misconception on general awareness of ADHD. More than half (62.7%) of them had misconceptions on the diagnosis and on 81% had misconceptions regarding treatment of the problem. Concerning teachers’ misconception on the contemporarily recommended educational placement of students with ADHD, 141 (68.3%) have said that such students should be placed in part time special education. The findings of this research have clearly indicated that primary school teachers have a wide range of misconceptions about the ADHD. It also reflects the need of equipping teachers with basic knowledge of ADHD which also enables them provide effective support for students with this exceptionality.