Teachers and Learning Preferences of Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) need teaching strategies that support their learning, such as Dunn and Dunn’s model, which can help them reach their full potential. This study aimed to investigate teachers' knowledge of Dunn and Dunn's model as one of the learning styles models and their perceptions of the importance of using it for students with ADHD. This study utilized a descriptive approach by employing a survey to collect the data. The study sample consisted of 115 teachers in elementary schools in Riyadh city that have ADHD programs. The findings of the study indicated that teachers had no knowledge of Dunn and Dunn’s model, and therefore their perceptions about the importance of using it were low. Additionally, the results showed that there were no significant differences based on the variables (gender, educational qualification, specialization, training courses). The results did, however, reveal that there were significant differences according to the years of teachers’ experience: two to five years of experience showed optimum results. Based on the results of the study, several recommendations were suggested, such as the importance of lectures and workshops under the supervision of specialists in the appropriate learning style.