Transforming ADHD screening through teachers’ strategic use of an Observation-based tool in Grade 9 and 10 Mathematics classrooms in Soshanguve township

Transforming ADHD screening through teachers’ strategic use of an Observation-based tool in Grade 9 and 10 Mathematics classrooms in Soshanguve township

Carlit Casey Tibane & Olivia Neo Mafa-Theledi

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 6 2026 Article 4 pp.621 – 637
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026764 Published online 23rd July 2026.

37 Downloads

DOWNLOAD PDF

ABSTRACT

Early identification of attention-related behavioural vulnerabilities is critical for preventing cumulative learning failure in Mathematics, particularly within under-resourced township secondary schools. This study explored how Grade 9 and Grade 10 Mathematics teachers in Soshanguve Township utilised a teacher-administered observation-based Vanderbilt Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)screening tool to identify behavioural risk indicators and to inform instructional support processes. A qualitative multiple-case study design was used within a constructivist and interpretivist paradigm in five secondary schools. Data were generated through teacher-completed Vanderbilt screening forms, classroom observations, and reflective field notes, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with cross-case pattern matching. Deliverology and Implementation Science framed the analytical interpretation. The findings revealed four interrelated themes: teacher-mediated identification of pervasive inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity as destabilising influences on instructional regulation, systemic academic and functional impairment, and emotional dysregulation undermining learner participation and persistence. In all cases, teachers demonstrated high observational fidelity in identifying behavioural vulnerability through screening. However, the translation of screening outcomes into structured instructional adaptation and coordinated support pathways remained inconsistent and systemically constrained. Screening functioned primarily as an identification mechanism rather than as a sustained driver of instructional improvement. The study confirms that teacher-administered behavioural screening, when ethically positioned as non-diagnostic, offers significant potential for strengthening inclusive Mathematics education in disadvantaged secondary school contexts. The combined application of Deliverology and Implementation Science provides a robust framework for transforming early behavioural identification into a scalable instructional and system improvement mechanism.

Keywords: ADHD Identification, Observation Diagnostic Tool, Mathematics Education, Learner Support, Deliverology, Implementation Science, Soshanguve Township.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Al-Zyoud, Nawaf, Maha Al-Hendawi, and Ali Alodat. “Stakeholder Perspectives on Challenges and Improvements in Student Classification and Progress Monitoring in Qatari Schools: A Qualitative Study.” Sustainability 17, no. 22 (2025): 10042.

Allan, Chad Everett. “Decision-Making: A Reflective Journey of the Lived Experiences of Experienced Teachers.” Kent State University, 2018.

Bang, Truong Cong. “Ensuring Credibility and Trustworthiness in Qualitative Inquiries.” In Applied Linguistics and Language Education Research Methods: Fundamentals and Innovations, 70–85. IGI Global Scientific Publishing, 2024.

Barber, Michael, Nick Rodriguez, and Ellyn Artis. Deliverology in Practice: How Education Leaders Are Improving Student Outcomes. Corwin Press, 2015.

Bradley, John S. Nelson’s Pediatric Antimicrobial Therapy. American Academy of Paediatrics, 2012.

Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. “Reflecting on Reflexive Thematic Analysis.” Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 11, no. 4 (2019): 589–97.

Brownson, Ross C, Rachel C Shelton, Elvin H Geng, and Russell E Glasgow. “Revisiting Concepts of Evidence in Implementation Science.” Implementation Science 17, no. 1 (2022): 26.

Carrick, Andrea, and Colin J Hamilton. “Heated Behaviour in the Classroom for Children with FASD: The Relationship between Characteristics Associated with ADHD, ODD and ASD, Hot Executive Function and Classroom Based Reward Systems.” Children 10, no. 4 (2023): 685.

Creswell, John W, and J David Creswell. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications, 2017.

Davies, Michael, Stephen Elliott, Jennifer Frey, and Greta Cooper. “Evaluation of a School-Led Sustainable Class-Wide Intervention Programme to Improve Elementary Children’s Social Emotional and Academic Performance.” International Journal of Disability, Development and Education 68, no. 4 (2021): 496–520.

Gallagher, Aoife L, Rachel Murphy, Ciara Ni Eochaidh, Johanna Fitzgerald, Carol-Anne Murphy, and James Law. “Implementation Science in School-Based, Universal-Level Intervention Research: A Scoping Review.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 54, no. 4 (2023): 1173–94.

Gallagher, Sandra. “A Framework to Study the Effect of Service, Delivery, and Quality on the Implementation of E-Learning Information Systems,” 2020.

Gewirtz, Sharon, Meg Maguire, Eszter Neumann, and Emma Towers. “What’s Wrong with ‘Deliverology’? Performance Measurement, Accountability and Quality Improvement in English Secondary Education.” Journal of Education Policy 36, no. 4 (2021): 504–29.

Hasson, Rebecca E, Lexie R Beemer, Andria B Eisman, and Penelope Friday. “Closing the Gap between Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention Adoption and Fidelity in Low-Resource Schools.” Kinesiology Review 12, no. 1 (2023): 36–46.

Humphrey, Neil, Ann Lendrum, Michael Wigelsworth, and Mark T Greenberg. Social and Emotional Learning. Routledge, 2020.

Kadenge, E, and L Mofokeng. “School Leadership And Its Influence On Beginner Teachers’professional Development.” EDULEARN25 Proceedings, 2025, 10083–90.

Leeman, Jennifer, Sarah A Birken, Byron J Powell, Catherine Rohweder, and Christopher M Shea. “Beyond ‘Implementation Strategies’: Classifying the Full Range of Strategies Used in Implementation Science and Practice.” Implementation Science 12, no. 1 (2017): 125.

Lovecky, Deirdre V. Different Minds: Gifted Children with ADHD, ASD, and Other Dual Exceptionalities. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2023.

Maema, Elijah Krone. Grade Three Teachers’ Experiences of Learners Perceived to Have ADHD in Soweto Mainstream Primary Schools. University of South Africa (South Africa), 2021.

Matolo, Mantheme Florina, and Awelani M Rambuda. “Evaluation of the Application of an Inclusive Education Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support of the Learners at Schools in South Africa.”International Journal of Education and Practice 10, no. 1 (2022):11–24.

Mcobothi, Siboniso Talent. “Teachers’ Experiences of Violence from Learners in Three High Schools in the KwaZulu-Natal Pinetown District.” Stellenbosch University, 2025.

Miller, Amanda L, Courtney Lane Wilt, Heather C Allcock, Jennifer A. Kurth, Mary E Morningstar, and Andrea L Ruppar. “Teacher Agency for Inclusive Education: An International Scoping Review.” International Journal of Inclusive Education 26, no. 12 (2022): 1159–77.

Moir, Taryn. “Why Is Implementation Science Important for Intervention Design and Evaluation within Educational Settings?” In Frontiers in Education, 3:61. Frontiers Media SA, 2018.

Naeem, Muhammad, Wilson Ozuem, Kerry Howell, and Silvia Ranfagni. “A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 22 (2023): 16094069231205788.

Neta, Gila, William Pan, Kristie Ebi, Daniel F Buss, Trisha Castranio, Rachel Lowe, Sadie J Ryan, Anna M Stewart-Ibarra, Limb K Hapairai, and Meena Sehgal. “Advancing Climate Change Health Adaptation through Implementation Science.” The Lancet Planetary Health 6, no. 11 (2022): e909–18.

Nilsen, Per, and Susanne Bernhardsson. “Context Matters in Implementation Science: A Scoping Review of Determinant Frameworks That Describe Contextual Determinants for Implementation Outcomes.” BMC Health Services Research 19, no. 1 (2019): 189.

Nordstrum, Lee E, Paul G LeMahieu, and Karen Dodd. “Deliverology.” Quality Assurance in Education 25, no. 1 (2017): 43–57.

Nxumalo, Ntombizonke Lucia, and Mogkadi Moletsane. “Exploring Educators’ Challenges Faced When Teaching Learners with Learning Barriers in the Senior Phase.” International Journal of Studies in Psychology 5, no. 3 (2025): 132–41.

O’Farrell, Pia, Charlotte Wilson, and Gerry Shiel. “Teachers’ Perceptions of the Barriers to Assessment of Mental Health in Schools with Implications for Educational Policy: A Systematic Review.” British Journal of Educational Psychology 93, no. 1 (2023):262–82.

Saharan, Vikas Anand, Hitesh Kulhari, Hemant Jadhav, Deep Pooja, Surojit Banerjee, and Anupama Singh. “Introduction to Research Methodology.” In Principles of Research Methodology and Ethics in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1–46. CRC Press, 2024.

Spaull, Nic. “Schooling in South Africa: How Low-Quality Education Becomes a Poverty Trap.” South African Child Gauge 12, no. 1 (2015): 34–41.

Taylor, P. R. “The Complexity of Teacher Professional Growth–Experiences of Professional Learning and Development, Including Practice-Based Inquiry .” Birmingham City University, 2019.

Thony, Judith. “Navigating ADHD in the Classroom: Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives.” Houston Baptist University, 2025.

Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research and Applications. Vol. 6. Sage Thousand Oaks, CA, 2018.

Yun, Cathy, Hanna Melnick, and Marjorie Wechsler. “High-Quality Early Childhood Assessment: Learning from States’ Use of Kindergarten Entry Assessments.” Learning Policy Institute, 2021.

AUTHOR(S)

Dr. Carlit Casey Tibane holds a Doctorate in Education and a Master of Education. He completed his BEd Honours (Natural Science) cum laude in 2017 and a BEd (FET) in Natural Science in 2015 at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). He is Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow and Part-Time Lecturer at TUT. Since 2011, he has served as a Supervising Lecturer at Victory Community Learning Centre, focusing on teaching, curriculum design, assessment management, and staff supervision. He is also a part-time lecturer at TUT, contributing to mathematics education and postgraduate research mentorship. Between 2018 and 2021, he coordinated the Upgrading Program, overseeing student progress and resources. His research interests include mathematics education challenges, dyscalculia awareness, and inclusive pedagogies. He has published and presented at national and international forums, underscoring his commitment to advancing educational development and community impact.

Dr. Olivia Neo Mafa-Theledi is a Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Business Education. She holds a Doctorate in Education from Tshwane University of Technology. Her fields of expertise include Consumer Science, Consumer Science Education and Consumer Science curriculum research. She has delivered several academic papers at both national and international conferences. She is a member of the South African Association of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences (SAAFECS). She currently supervises and co-supervises master’s and doctoral students. She is currently involved in collaborative research and development projects in the Faculty of Humanities and in the broader University community. And co-ordinates and participates in a community service project with the Limpopo Department of Education and NMMU. She published articles in international journals.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Tibane, Carlit Casey, and Olivia Neo Mafa-Theledi, “Transforming ADHD screening through Teachers’ strategic use of an Observation-based Tool in Grade 9 and 10 Mathematics classrooms in Soshanguve township.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.6 (2026): 621 – 637. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026764