2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This project aims to gain insight into the academic success of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) college students with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), many of whom have learning strengths and challenges that are often unrecognized. These students make up a growing factor of neurodiverse college students; however, in spite of their growing presence, little is known about their college experiences and academic success. This explanatory mixed-methods project, guided by the social model of disability, will contribute to the literature by conducting three sequential studies. Study 1 is a quantitative analysis investigating the relationships between pre-college factors, college experiences (i.e., academic adjustment, faculty interaction, and sense of belonging), and academic success of college students with ADHD. Study 2 is a scoping literature review of the college experiences of these students, and Study 3 is a qualitative, interview-driven investigation centered on the role of classroom teaching practices as a precursor to academic success. The overarching goals of our project are to: ascertain college factors and teaching practices that directly impact the academic success of STEM college students with ADHD; understand the role of classroom teaching practices on the academic success of these students; and disseminate actionable recommendations to higher education instructors and administrators.
This paper provides an update on the three studies, sharing the findings of Study 1 and describing plans for Studies 2 and 3. We will present the findings of Study 1, showing that students’ academic adjustment is partially mediated the relationship between an ADHD diagnosis and lower first-year students and that students’ interaction with faculty and their sense of belonging in college are positively associated with their first-year grades. Then we will describe Study 2, a scoping literature review that answers the following research questions: (1) What is known about the college experience (academic adjustment, classroom experiences, sense of belonging) of students with ADHD? (2) What are the gaps and opportunities in the literature about the college experience of students with ADHD? and (3) What approaches are being used to understand the college experience of students with ADHD? Finally, we will describe the design and methodological processes for conducting focus groups and interviews (i.e., protocols, data collection, participants, etc.) for Study 3.