English Language Pre-Service Teachers' Confidence in Teaching Students with ADHD

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted by the University of Warsaw has highlighted the challenges faced by English language pre-service teachers in dealing with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-like behaviors in the classroom. A mixed-methods study involving 62 pre-service teachers from Japan, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine explored their self-efficacy and approaches to managing ADHD-like behaviors in hypothetical classroom scenarios. The study found that while teachers feel moderately confident in managing these behaviors, significant country-specific differences exist in their approaches.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study revealed that pre-service teachers from Japan, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine have varying levels of confidence in managing ADHD-like behaviors in the classroom.
  • A total of 62 pre-service teachers from the four countries participated in the study, which used a mixed-methods approach to gather data.
  • The study found that participants' approaches to managing ADHD-like behaviors align with evidence-based recommendations for teaching students with ADHD, but also highlighted the need for universal and language-skill-development-oriented approaches.
  • Country-specific differences were observed in the approaches used by pre-service teachers to manage ADHD-like behaviors, indicating the need for tailored teaching approaches.
  • The study's findings have implications for pre-service teacher education, emphasizing the need for more inclusive and evidence-based teaching methods.
  • The research involved Asli Lidice Gokturk Saglam, Zrinka Fiser, Mutsumi Iijima, Elisa Diaz-Prada, Nataliia Shcherba, and Agnieszka Kaldonek-Crnjakovic.

Statistics:

  • 62 pre-service teachers from Japan, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine participated in the study.
  • 4 countries were represented in the study: Japan, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
  • 15% of the participants reported feeling very confident in managing ADHD-like behaviors, while 40% felt moderately confident.
  • 45% of the participants mentioned that they would use a student-centered approach to manage ADHD-like behaviors.

Sources:

  • Do English Language Pre-Service Teachers Feel Ready to Teach Students with ADHD? Voices from Japan, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine. Education Sciences, 2025,15(9):1092. (Education Sciences - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/education).
  • University of Warsaw. Dobra 55, 00-312 Warsaw, Poland.