Conceptions of elementary school teachers about learning disorders

Purpose to investigate the knowledge and concepts of elementary school teachers about learning difficulties, learning disabilities, and dyslexia. Methods this is a cross-sectional study with 31 elementary school teachers in a city in the interior of the state of São Paulo. A survey was conducted through a questionnaire with dissertative questions. The questionnaire has questions regarding the teacher’s knowledge about the definition, causes, and manifestations of learning disorders. Data were analyzed quantitatively by comparative analysis, using the Chi-Square Statistical Test to compare the knowledge of teachers in both public and private schools, and of teachers with and without prior knowledge on the topic. The significance level of 5% was adopted. Results in general, the teachers demonstrated difficulties for defining disorders, identifying their causes, and pointing out their manifestations. Separating the teachers by type of school (public or private) and prior knowledge of the subject, there was no statistically significant difference in most of the answers. Conclusion teachers lack knowledge about learning disorders and therefore need orientation to effectively work with these students.