Exploring the experiences of Algerian English as a foreign language (EFL) middle school teachers in teaching learners with ADHD: interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a widely recognized and extensivelydiscussed topic in the field of education, given its prevalence and the diverse perspectivessurrounding its implications for students’ learning and educational outcomes. It posesunique challenges in the schooling context, affecting students’ attention, impulsivity, andhyperactivity, which can impact their academic performance and classroom behaviour.Teachers play an important role in the support, and inclusion of learners with ADHD.However, the behaviours associated with ADHD often challenge schoolteachers. Thisdissertation presents a study that used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) toshare accounts of participants’ experiences with regard to teaching learners with ADHD inthe English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, which revealed rich and worthwhile data.The following questions guided the research project: How do Algerian EFL middle schoolteachers conceptualise ADHD? How do different factors contribute to teachers’ sense ofchallenge? How do they describe their feelings toward learners with ADHD? How do theydescribe the impact of their experiences? Individual interviews and group discussions wereused to gather data from participants regarding their personal experience and reflections ofteaching learners with ADHD. IPA informed the design of the study and provided a usefulanalytical tool that put the data under detailed scrutiny. Themes identified relate to thecomplex nature of ADHD, teachers’ perceived challenges, emotions, and the impact ofincluding these learners in the classroom. The findings are discussed in relation to theresearch questions, the theoretical work of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory (1990)and previous empirical literature on the subject. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory,linked with phenomenology, was used to make sense of, and contextualise, the researchfindings in the context of a complex pattern of interrelationships. Thus, it helped to achievea better understanding and interpret the data more holistically. By using this theory, thestudy sought to provide another alternative and accessible theoretical approach to frameteachers’ development. The findings from this study show that both individual andenvironmental characteristics intertwine to affect teachers’ experiences and development.Therefore, the overarching implication of the research project highlights a need to rethinkthe approaches of teachers’ ongoing professional development to fully account forindividual as well as contextual features. The study hopes to inform educational practice bytaking into account teachers’ experiences and needs, in the context of the study.