Knowledge about epilepsy and confidence in instructing students with epilepsy: Teachers' responses to a new scale

Knowledgeable and confident teachers are crucial for students with epilepsy. In this study, 91 current teachers of a student with epilepsy (CTs) and 203 teachers in general (TiGs) were surveyed using a new scale. CTs knew more school-relevant epilepsy facts than TiGs, even after controlling for special education background, F(1, 293) = 5.75, P = 0.017, η2 = 0.02. Both groups of teachers, however, knew less than one-half of the facts (means = 10.6 [CTs] 8.7 [TiGs] of 25 items). CTs also expressed greater confidence than TiGs in their ability to meet an array of instructional, safety, and psychosocial requirements, even when between-group differences in teachers' background in special education were controlled, F(1, 293) = 34.97, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.11. Still, neither group communicated a high absolute level of confidence. As expected, more knowledgeable teachers expressed greater confidence (r = 0.43, P < 0.001). Results suggest that some facts about epilepsy require additional dissemination to educators.

Research Highlights► Teachers' knowledge and confidence are important, but not yet well studied. ► A new, psychometrically sophisticated measure of these constructs is developed. ► Teachers in several schools knew relatively few of an array of important epilepsy facts. ► Those currently teaching a student with epilepsy, however, were more confident. ► Epilepsy knowledge predicted confidence in teaching a student with epilepsy.