Comparing the effectiveness of booklet and focus group education of teachers on their knowledge, attitude and performance towards students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized clinical trial

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood mental disorder causing hyperactivity, attention deficit and education decline among students. The aim of the study was to compare effectiveness of booklet and focus group education of primary school teachers on their knowledge, attitude, and practices about students with ADHD.

Sixty teachers from four girls’ primary schools of Education Department of shahrekord were selected randomly. Then, they were put into two groups of focus group (30) and booklet education (30). The first group was divided into two groups of 15 and participated in four one-hour sessions and the second group received a booklet with the same content of group sessions. Both groups filled knowledge, attitudes and practice questionnaires before and one month after the education.

After the intervention, knowledge of participants was significantly increased in both groups (P<0.05), but their attitudes about medication treatment of ADHD were not significantly changed. The change in mean knowledge and attitudes was not significantly different between two groups (P=0.811and P=0.898 respectively), but the focus group education rather than booklet group showed a better performance. So, the number of suspected and referred children for ADHD was significantly more increased (P=0.05).

The results showed that focus group education was more effective than booklet education in increasing the number of referred children for ADHD by their teachers. Because ADHD can lead to psychosocial problems in students, it is recommended to use focus group education of teachers to identify quickly and refer students with ADHD.