TEACHERS' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

Abstract

In the last few decades, researchers in the field of education have paid particular attention to the inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools.Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder have been included among those with special support needs and special educational needs in the USA since 1990, when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was adopted.In Romania, although there is no specific legislation yet, in 1990 by Law 15, the Romanian Parliament ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which laid the foundations for inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream school and society.This study aims to achieve two objectives.The first objective was to explore the relationship between the perception of primary school teachers about the severity of the symptoms of ADHD students, their attitude towards the integration of ADHD students in the school and their knowledge about ADHD.The second objective covered the aspects from the questionnaires applied and from the interview.The results show that the teachers' attitudes towards the integration of children with ADHD into mainstream schooling are often neutral, that primary school teachers have knowledge of the symptoms, etiology, and treatment of ADHD students, and that there is a mediating effect (Z = 2.02, p = 0.044, p <0.05), which accounts for 36.6% of the total effect.It can be concluded that all the objectives have been achieved and the results can be used to carry out in-service training programs for primary school teachers.