KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEFS ABOUT ADHD OF PERUVIAN TEACHERS: THE ROLE OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE WITH ADHD/Conocimientos y creencias de los maestros peruanos sobre el TDAH: el rol de la experiencia docente en el TDAH

Introduction. Studies that have analyzed teachers' knowledge, misconceptions and gaps about ADHD have focused primarily on North America, Europe and Asia, fundamentally. However, the knowledge of teachers in South America and Central America about ADHD has not been analyzed. Aims. Therefore, in this study we set two objectives: a) to compare the Peruvian pre-service teachers (PSTs) and in-service teachers'(ISTs) knowledge, misconceptions and lack of knowledge about ADHD, and b) to analyse the differences in knowledge, misconceptions and lacks of knowledge between ISTs with and without experience about ADHD. Method. Two hundred sixty-four teachers completed the Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (KADDS), the Index of Teaching Stress (ITS), and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results. Results showed that ISTs had more correct answers on total scale, on general information and on treatment sub-scales than PSTs. The PSTs had more lacks of knowledge on total scale than ISTs. The ISTs with experience about ADHD had more teaching stress, higher scores on self-efficacy and more accurate knowledge on total scale and on each sub-scale. In addition, ISTs knowledge correlated with post-grade education and years of experience. Self-efficacy correlated with experience about ADHD and years of experience. Discussion. The importance of misconceptions and knowledge gaps about ADHD for teacher training is discussed. Keywords: Teachers' knowledge, ADHD, teaching stress, pre-service teacher, in-service teacher. Introduction. Los estudios que han analizado los conocimientos, creencias erroneas y lagunas de los profesores acerca del TDAH se han centrado fundamentalmente en America del Norte, Europa y Asia, fundamentalmente. Sin embargo, no se han analizado los conocimientos de los profesores de America del Sur ni de America del centro acerca del TDAH. Por ello, en este estudio nos planteamos dos objetivos: a) comparar los conocimientos, las creencias erroneas y las lagunas de conocimiento de los profesores sin experiencia (PSE) y de los profesores con experiencia (PCE), y b) analizar las diferencias en el conocimiento, las creencias y las lagunas entre los PCE que habian ensenado o no a alumnos con TDAH. Metodo. En total 264 profesores completaron la Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (KADDS), el Index of Teaching Stress (ITS), y un cuestionario socio-demografico. Resultados. Los resultados mostraron que los PCE tuvieron mayores respuestas correctas en l