Designing a training programme for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder for preschool educators: An action research

The purpose of this study is to examine preschool educators' approaches to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to develop an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder program for preschool educators. This study, which was prepared in the action research design, was applied to 39 preschool teachers working in Edirne province in the 2023-2024 academic year. Presentations and case studies during the implementation focused on the educators' ability to understand attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, to learn the causes of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, to recognize the symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and the positive and negative situations accompanying attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and the interventions to be made in cases of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in the classroom. Participants expressed their satisfaction by stating that the developed training program included topics that could be applied in classroom interventions in terms of subject distribution, that the application was interactive, that a clear language was used in the program, and that the content was understandable. The participants stated that the program contributed to both the participants and the institutions where the participants worked by helping the educators to acquire new knowledge by teaching different methods. They underlined that the program's effects on planning for daily activities, routines and transitions supported classroom management skills and contributed to classroom arrangements. Participants stated that they would change their approach to students and make adjustments in their plans while transforming the theoretical knowledge in the program into practice.