Effectiveness of an Educational Program Upon Primary School Teachers' Knowledge and Attitude Toward Conduct Disorders: A Quasi-Experimental Design

Abstract

Background: Conduct Disorder (CD) is the most severe type of disruptive behavior disorder and is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. A child or youth who is diagnosed with CD shows a persistent pattern of antisocial behavior that significantly impairs their everyday functioning at home or at school or leads other people to conclude that the child is unmanageable.

Objective (s): The aims of the current study are to assess primary school Teachers' Knowledge and attitudes toward Conduct Disorders and to evaluate the effectiveness of educational program.

Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out through the application of pre-trail and post-trail in groups (study and control) from the period (1st December 2022 to 22nd January 2023) through the implementation of the educational program upon primary school teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward conduct disorders among children in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf city. A total of 75 primary school teachers were selected by a ''non-probability'' (purposive) sample from a candidate school and included in the present study.

Results: The mean score of teachers' knowledge was 0.29, and attitude was 2.36 at the pre-test. while, at the post-test, the mean score of teachers' knowledge was 0.78 and attitude was 3.8.

Conclusion: The study concludes that this educational program aims to improve teachers' knowledge and attitudes towards Conduct disorders. This conclusion is supported by statistical approaches that demonstrate improvement in teachers knowledge and attitudes toward conduct disorders in the study group compared to the results of the control group.