Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity in the classroom: assessing children’s perception through their drawings
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity in the classroom: assessing children’s perception through their drawings
Main Article Content
Abstract
For children in general, and in particular for students who find it difficult to manage their behaviors and levels of attention, the classroom may prove to be an “unsuitable” environment. Our study involved 124 students from the first three grades of primary school, taken form several schools of Italy’s Piedmont region. We divided the participants into two groups: an Experimental Group (EG), composed of 60 children who, according to their teachers, manifested ADHD symptoms, and a Control Group (CG). We used various instruments (e.g., STRS, SDQ, Class Play, Attribution Test) in order to assess children’s behavior and the quality of the relationships in the classroom of both groups involved. Our study is based specifically on results obtained from the administration of the “Class Drawing” graphic test. This method, in line with other tools used for confirming data taken from the relevant literature, does not focus solely on investigating the quality of the student-teacher relationship, but it also takes into consideration the difficulties that may be encountered by children with ADHD in specific behavioral areas, namely socialization and affectivity.
References
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Pasta, T. & Quaglia, R. (2010). The role of social abilities in the relationship with peers: the concurrent validity of Class Drawing. In J.J. Gázquez Linares & M.C. Pérez-Fuentes (Eds.), Investigación en Convivencia Escolar. Variables relacionadas (pp.287-293). Granada: Grupo Editorial Universitario.
Peter, D., Allan, J. & Horvath, A. (1983). Hyperactive children's perceptions of teachers' classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 20(2), 234-240.
Pianta, R.C., Steinberg, M.S. & Rollins, K.B. (1995). The first two years of school: Teacher-child relationships and deflections in children’s classroom adjustment. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 295-312.
Quaglia, R. & Saglione, G. (1990). Il disegno della classe, uno strumento per conoscere il bambino a scuola. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri.
Tambelli, R., Zavattini, G.C. & Mossi, P. (1995). Il senso della famiglia. Le relazioni affettive del bambino nel Disegno della famiglia. Roma: La Nuova Italia Scientifica.
Tournaki, N. (2003). Effect of Student Characteristics on Teachers' Predictions of Student Success. The Journal of Educational Research, 96(5), 310-319.
Witek, M. & Little, G. (1996). The Influence of Exceptionality and Gender on Teacher Attributions and Expectancy. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, 104th, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 9-13, 1996.
American Psychiatric Association, APA (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
Ammaniti, M. (2001). Manuale di psicopatologia dell’infanzia. Milano: Cortina.
Aureli, T., Bascelli, E., Camodeca, M. & Di Sano, S. (2008). Il bambino in classe. Aspetti teorici e strumenti di valutazione. Roma: Carocci.
Barkley, R. (2004). Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Nature, course, outcomes and comorbility. New York: Guilford.
Birch, S.H. & Ladd, G.W. (1996). Interpersonal relationships in the school environment and children’s early school adjustment: The role of teachers and peers. In J. Juvonen & K.R. Wentzel (Eds.), Social motivation: Understanding children’s school adjustment (pp. 199-225). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Birch, S.H. & Ladd, G.W. (1998). Children’s interpersonal behaviors and the teacher-child relationship. Developmental Psychology, 34, 934-946.
Boscolo, P. (2006). Psicologia dell'apprendimento scolastico. Aspetti cognitivi e motivazionali. Torino: Utet.
Carlson, C.L. (1997). Behavioral Characteristics of DSM-IV ADHD Subtypes in a School-Based Population. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 25(2), 103-111.
Corman, L. (1967). Le Test du dessin de famille dans la pratique médico-pédagogique. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
Cornoldi, C. (2007). Difficoltà e disturbi dell’apprendimento. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Cornoldi, C., De Meo, T., Offredi, F. & Vio, C. (2001). Iperattività e autoregolazione cognitiva. Trento: Erickson.
Cornoldi, C., Gardinale, M., Masi, A. & Pettenò, L. (1996). Impulsività e autocontrollo. Interventi e tecniche metacognitive. Trento: Erickson.
De Beni, R., Moè, A. & Ravazzolo, C. (1998). Sviluppo nello stile attributivo e relazione con le componenti meta cognitive in bambini dai 4 agli 11 anni. Psicologia Clinica dello Sviluppo, 2(2), 245-269.
Di Pietro, M., Bassi, E. & Filoramo, G. (2001). L’alunno iperattivo in classe. Problemi di comportamento e strategie educative. Trento: Erickson.
Erhardt, D. & Hinshaw, S.P. (1994). Initial sociometric impressions of ADHD and comparison boys: Predictors from social behaviors and non-behavioral variables. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 833-842.
Francescato, D., Tomai, M. & Ghirelli, G. (2002). Fondamenti di psicologia di comunità. Roma: Carocci.
Fraire, M., Longobardi, C., Prino, L. E., Sclavo, E. & Settanni, M. (2013). Examining the StudentTeacher Relationship Scale in the Italian context: a factorial validity study. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 11(3), 649-664. doi:10.14204/ejrep.31.13064.
Hughes, J.N. & Kwok, O. (2006). Classroom engagement mediates the effect of teacher-student support on elementary students' peer acceptance. A prospective analysis. Journal of school psychology, 43(6), 465-480.
Kauffman, J.M., Lloyd, J.W. & McGee, K.A. (1989). Adaptive and maladaptive behavior:
Teachers’ attitudes and their technical assistance needs. The Journal of Special Education, 23, 185-200.
Kellner, R., Houghton, S. & Douglas, G. (2003). Peer-related personal experiences of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with and without comorbid learning disabilities. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education, 50, 119136.
Kos, J.M., Richdale, A.L. & Hay, D.A. (2006). Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and their Teachers: A review of the literature. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 53(2), 147-160.
Longobardi, C., Pasta, T. & Quaglia, R. (2009). La valutazione della relazione alunno-insegnante nei primi anni di scolarizzazione: il punto di vista del bambino attraverso il metodo grafico. INFAD Revista de Psicología, International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology, XXI, 1(2), 227-237.
Marshall, R.M., Hynd, R.M., Handwerk, M.J. & Hall, J. (1997). Academic underachievement in ADHD subtypes. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30, 635-644.
Marzocchi, G. (2003). Bambini disattenti e iperattivi: cosa possono fare per loro genitori, insegnanti e terapeuti. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Marzocchi, G.M., Di Pietro, M., Vio, C., Bassi, E., Filoramo, G. & Salmaso, A. (2002). Il questionario SDQ per insegnanti (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire): uno strumento di screening per difficoltà comportamentali ed emotive in età evolutiva. Difficoltà di Apprendimento, 8, 75-84.
Masten, A.S., Morrison, P. & Pellegrini, D.S. (1985). A revised class play method of peer assessment. Developmental Psychology, 21, 523-533.
Mikami, A.Y. (2010). The Importance of Friendship for Youth with AttentionDeficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review, 13(2), 181198.
Pasta, T. (2011). The child’s affective relationships in the family and in class: graphic representations compared. INFAD Revista de Psicología, International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology, XXIII 1(1), 455-464.
Pasta, T. & Quaglia, R. (2010). The role of social abilities in the relationship with peers: the concurrent validity of Class Drawing. In J.J. Gázquez Linares & M.C. Pérez-Fuentes (Eds.), Investigación en Convivencia Escolar. Variables relacionadas (pp.287-293). Granada: Grupo Editorial Universitario.
Peter, D., Allan, J. & Horvath, A. (1983). Hyperactive children's perceptions of teachers' classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 20(2), 234-240.
Pianta, R.C., Steinberg, M.S. & Rollins, K.B. (1995). The first two years of school: Teacher-child relationships and deflections in children’s classroom adjustment. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 295-312.
Quaglia, R. & Saglione, G. (1990). Il disegno della classe, uno strumento per conoscere il bambino a scuola. Torino: Bollati Boringhieri.
Tambelli, R., Zavattini, G.C. & Mossi, P. (1995). Il senso della famiglia. Le relazioni affettive del bambino nel Disegno della famiglia. Roma: La Nuova Italia Scientifica.
Tournaki, N. (2003). Effect of Student Characteristics on Teachers' Predictions of Student Success. The Journal of Educational Research, 96(5), 310-319.
Witek, M. & Little, G. (1996). The Influence of Exceptionality and Gender on Teacher Attributions and Expectancy. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, 104th, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 9-13, 1996.