TEACHERS’ REPORTED IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE BEHAVIORAL STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Abstract

Teachers play a crucial role in positively influencing the behavior of students with ADHD by implementing recommended behavioral strategies. However, there is limited research on the factors that impact general education teachers' implementation of the recommended behavioral strategies. Guided by an adapted theory of planned behavior, this study examined factors that could predict teachers' implementation of behavioral strategies. I collected and quantitatively analyzed online survey data. The results revealed that general education teachers in my sample employed both effective and ineffective behavioral strategies. The findings suggest that some of the theory's assumptions were supported. The results indicate that teachers’ appraisals of effectiveness of behavioral strategies predicted implementation of behavioral strategies, regardless of whether research evidence supported their effectiveness. This suggests that teachers’ misconceptions about the effectiveness of strategies may lead them to implement strategies with little evidence of effectiveness. Confidence in applying the behavioral strategies and perceiving facilitators could enhance teachers' implementation of behavioral strategies, particularly those with stronger evidence of effectiveness, as it emerged as a significant predictor of implementation across several strategies (e.g., stimulant medication and offering immediate tangible rewards for engaging in positive behavior). Overall, there were differences in the factors that predicted “how often” a strategy was implemented compared to “how well” they were implemented.