A importância da formação de professores do 1º CEB para o conhecimento dos determinantes do desempenho escolar dos alunos com PHDA

Abstract

Introduction: Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a problematic that reaches a high rate of school-age population. Its prevalence is estimated to be 3% - 7% of the students (APA, 2000). Thus, working directly with hyperactive students has become an inevitable task in our lives, as educational professionals. So it has become essential to know new and effective teaching practices because to understand a teacher’s role as a facilitating agent in the teaching-learning process is to understand that that role requires a specialized preparation. It is in this context that our paper is based. Objective: The present study aims to understand if the continuing training of teachers helps them to have a better knowledge about ADHD children, improving their perceptions and attitudes. Methodology: from this point of view, the adopted procedure was the Descriptive Plan by Survey. Data were collected using a questionnaire, considered the most appropriated procedure for descriptive studies. This study involved 117 primary teachers of several schools. The major part of them only have the basic training (the number of teachers with some kind of specialization in this area is very reduced). Results: After analyzing the survey data, it was made a connection between the results and teacher´s academic qualifications and the conclusion is that the quality of the teacher’s practices goes up with the teachers training in this issue. However, the initial teacher´s training may or may not have been developed in the hyperactivity area and, because of that some teachers may not be secured of their answers (particularly regarding to information about the main problems related to this theme). Conclusions: The results of the study bring to us the conclusion that it is extremely important to get appropriate training throughout the professional career. This training can be related directly with this area or in other areas that are directly or indirectly connected with our work with the principal aim of improve our intervention in a school context and help the children with this pathology

Date of Award	29 May 2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Sofia Campos (Supervisor)