e-Pedagogium 2017, 17(1):162-173 | DOI: 10.5507/epd.2017.015

Knowledge about epilepsy and confidence in approaching a pupil with epilepsy among teachers in training and practicing teachers

Dana Brabcová, Eliška Strejcová, Jiří Kohout
Mgr. Dana Brabcová, Ph.D. vedoucí autorského kolektivu, Katedra psychologie, Fakulta pedagogická, Západočeská univerzita v Plzni, Klatovská 51, 301 00 Plzeň, E-mail: dannab@seznam.cz

Epilepsy is a neurological disease having negative impact on school life. A support of the affected children from the well-educated teachers is thus highly needed. The aim of this study was to compare knowledge about, attitudes towards epilepsy and confidence in approaching pupils having this condition between two distinct groups. 123 practicing teachers and 111 teachers in training completed the 21-item Scale of Attitudes Toward People with Epilepsy (ATPE), an 18-item multiple-choice test measuring knowledge about epilepsy, and a 5-item questionnaire focused on confidence with epilepsy in a school environment. We found that despite a higher level of knowledge about epilepsy among practicing teachers (mean score of 10.21 points compared with 9.41 points for the teachers in training, p < 0.001) and also the higher confidence (mean score of 17.71 points in the former case and only 15.55 points in the latter case, p < 0.001), the attitudes towards epilepsy did not differ significantly. The presented findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the epilepsy-related training of the both teachers in training and practicing teachers.

Keywords: epilepsy, teachers in training, practicing teachers, knowledge, attitude, confidence

Published: February 1, 2017  Show citation

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Brabcová, D., Strejcová, E., & Kohout, J. (2017). Knowledge about epilepsy and confidence in approaching a pupil with epilepsy among teachers in training and practicing teachers. e-Pedagogium, 17(1), 162-173. doi: 10.5507/epd.2017.015
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