Date of Award
2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Schools and Centres
Education
First Supervisor
Professor Dianne Chambers
Second Supervisor
Professor Boris Handal
Abstract
This study was an exploration of the lived experiences of students with ADHD in the Australian secondary school classroom in identifying factors influencing their learning outcomes. Students with ADHD face short-term issues, such as strained relationships with teachers, peers, and parents, a lack of relatedness and engagement with school, late arrival and absenteeism, and high drop-out rates, leading to poor academic outcomes (Dembo et al., 2016; Fried et al., 2016). In the long-term, their poor academic achievements have led to many other negative outcomes including psychological conditions, under-employment, substance abuse, criminality, and an overall poorer quality of life, causing significant social and economic burdens to society (Australian ADHD Professionals Association, 2019; Faraone et al., 2015). It is timely, therefore, to explore the less researched student perspective in identifying the factors which contribute to improvements in the learning outcomes of students with ADHD.
The literature review underscored four themes, which facilitated the development of the conceptual design of this study. These four themes are: ADHD core symptoms and executive function; co-occurring conditions; teacher attitudes; and emotional dysregulation/impact. The dynamic interaction between these themes was determined to directly influence learning outcomes for students with ADHD.
This study adopted a qualitative research paradigm with a constructivist epistemological stance and an interpretivist theoretical perspective based on the methodological principles of transcendental phenomenological analysis. The method of data collection was in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews with ten former Australian public and private secondary school students from New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Moustakis’ (1994) structured approach to data analysis was used in analysing the data collected through participant interviews.
The core symptoms of ADHD and their direct connection with poor executive functions posed the main learning challenges for the participants. Nevertheless, it is the dynamic interaction of co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety and depression, with negative teacher attitudes, that led to the lack of self-confidence in students with ADHD’s abilities, low self-esteem, and poor learning outcomes. The importance of teachers’ positive attitude towards these students and the critical role of an ‘executive assistant’ to support their compromised executive functions on a continued basis emerged as positive factors towards emotional stability and improved learning outcomes.
The findings of this study highlight emotional stability within the classroom as an important element influencing improved learning outcomes for students with ADHD. Although, emotional stability was found to be directly connected with positive self-esteem and improved learning outcomes, participants of this study had often experienced low self-esteem resulting from a lack of self-confidence in their academic abilities, and a lack of belonging/relatedness and engagement within the classroom.
The researcher identified several key factors influencing improved learning outcomes for these students which included supporting academic challenges; positive teacher attitudes; peer acceptance; healthy friendships; engaging talents; emotional support; enhancing creativity and intrinsic motivation; and engaging support persons, support systems and support tools. Based on these factors, recommendations include considerations that promote improved learning outcomes, such as: supporting students’ academic challenges; enhancing teacher knowledge and skills; facilitating healthy peer relations within the classroom; identifying a key support person or ’executive assistant’; managing co-occurring psychological conditions; adopting a career focused approach through talents and interests; and parallel curricular.
Publication Details
Keiper, D. S. (2024). Lived Experiences of Former Secondary School Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Phenomenological Study [Doctor of Education]. The University of Notre Dame Australia. https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/442