Preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in managing students with symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: The roles of diagnostic label and students’ gender

The present study investigated preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in classroom management involving students with symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 137 Chinese preservice teachers were randomly presented with one of four vignettes involving a student character with ADHD symptoms, with manipulations including the character’s gender and diagnostic label of ADHD. Upon reading the vignette, participants responded to questions concerning their self-efficacy in inclusive classroom management involving the character. Findings based on analysis of covariance indicated an interaction effect of the vignette character’s gender and label on teachers’ self-efficacy. Specifically, teachers perceived greater self-efficacy in a classroom involving a girl with an ADHD label than in a classroom involving a girl with no label or a boy with a label. Findings enriched the literature concerning the roles of gender and label in preservice teachers’ self-efficacy toward inclusive classroom management.