From consensus to classroom: Delphi-derived epilepsy management competencies for school teachers

Area of Science:

• Education
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Children with epilepsy face stigma and exclusion in schools, particularly in low-resource settings.
• Existing school-based epilepsy interventions are fragmented and lack structure.
• There is a need for evidence-informed frameworks to support students with epilepsy in educational environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a competency-based epilepsy education curriculum for school teachers.
• To enhance teachers' ability to identify seizures, respond appropriately, and provide inclusive classroom support.
• To address knowledge and response gaps in school-based epilepsy care.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods, Delphi-guided study was conducted across diverse Indian regions.
• Kern's six-step model and Social Cognitive Theory informed curriculum development.
• Needs assessment, focus groups, interviews, literature review, and a multidisciplinary expert panel (n=42) were utilized.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive competency-based epilepsy awareness curriculum for teachers was developed.
• Ten core domains and one introductory topic were finalized through expert consensus.
• 58 competencies and 170 SMART learning objectives were formulated, with preliminary field testing and refinements.

Conclusions:

• A telehealth-delivered, competency-based epilepsy curriculum was successfully developed.
• The curriculum addresses critical knowledge and response gaps among school teachers.
• This scalable model can improve school-based epilepsy care and inform interventions for other chronic conditions.