Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Epilepsy in Educational Contexts
Summary
Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder among school-age children and adolescents. Misunderstandings about its causes and management persist in educational settings, often resulting in stigma, social exclusion and inadequate support for learners with the condition. Teachers’ knowledge and attitudes are central to fostering safe and inclusive classrooms. Research across diverse regions reveals widespread gaps in teacher training on seizure first aid, misconceptions about contagion or supernatural causes and variability in willingness to admit or retain students with epilepsy. Effective educational interventions—such as tailored training modules, collaborative guidelines for seizure response and school-based awareness campaigns—have demonstrated improvements in teachers’ confidence, first-aid practices and attitudes. Integrating epilepsy education into teacher training curricula and engaging school communities can enhance early recognition of seizures, reduce discrimination and promote academic continuity for students with epilepsy.
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Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Epilepsy in Educational Contexts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy in educational contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Epilepsy: A chronic neurological disorder marked by recurrent unprovoked seizures.
Stigma: Negative social attitudes and discrimination toward individuals with epilepsy.
KAP survey: An assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices within a target population.
Seizure first aid: Immediate measures to protect and support an individual during a seizure.
References
- Ethiopian teachers: their knowledge, attitude and practice towards epilepsy. BMC Neurology (2016).
- Knowledge about Epilepsy and Attitudes toward Students with Epilepsy among Middle and High School Teachers in Kuwait. International Journal of Pediatrics (2016).
- Epilepsy and Education in developing countries: a survey of school teachers’ knowledge about epilepsy and their attitude towards students with epilepsy in Northwestern Nigeria. Pan African Medical Journal (2014).
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