Abstract:

In Polish educational system a student with ADHD can attend either integrative or inclusive type of school, given that the latter is obligatory for every public school. The data of scientific research show that it is the teachers’ competence to work with such school children which determines the quality of general support rendered to ADHD students in Poland.

The aim of the scientific study is to identify and compare competence of early childhood education teachers to work with pupils with ADHD in the educational climate of integrative and inclusive types of schools as well as to look for the variables between the educational climate and teachers’ competence as such. The climate of the school as perceived by teachers was analyzed according to such factors as: job satisfaction, job advancement, features desired by teachers in a student, evaluation of the teaching staff and co-working specialists, the state of well-being of pupils with ADHD as well as the relation between school and the pupil with difficulties and another one: between teachers and students. As for teachers’ competence the aims of the study were: knowledge of symptoms of ADHD, knowledge of legal regulations and kind of support aiming at improving functioning as well as methods and forms of work with students with ADHD.

The applied scientific method is diagnostic survey, and the technique – observation and questionnaire. The research tool is the questionnaire with disjunction and conjunction types of answers designed for teachers as well as the observation sheet. The respondents are 100 teachers of early childhood education, with 50 – working in integrative type of school and the remaining 50 – working in inclusive schools. Statistical analysis was conducted with the use of Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, with p ≤ 0, 050 as statistically relevant for all calculations.

The results of the study:
A statistically substantial difference occurs in the level of teachers’ competence rendered to pupils with ADHD in integrative as opposed to inclusive type of schools. It is particularly observable in the range of knowledge of ADHD symptoms as well as knowledge concerning functioning of such students. It is the deficiency of cooperation within teaching teams and with educational specialists which is responsible for this difference. Integrative schools declare bigger contribution to students’ well-being at school as well as better techniques aiming at improving ADHD students position in class. Inclusive school teachers frequently mark ADHD pupils as difficult, causing problems, impeding teaching and making it hard to work in a big class. Statistically substantial relation between climate rate and teachers’ competence to work with ADHD students were noted in both types of schools. Due to the low rates of job satisfaction and professional development inclusive school teachers attain less expertise in work with ADHD student.

Conclusion:
In inclusive schools it is still the teacher who needs professional support to be able to offer help the ADHD student needs. Teachers working with ADHD students should be better educated and provided with more possibilities of gaining practical experience. Also, in each inclusive school a special educator should be available.

Keywords:

ADHD student, integrative school, inclusive education, teacher’s competence.