The Mediating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulated Learning in Academic Success Among Higher Education Students With SLD or ADHD

Understanding the individual qualities sustaining students with and without specific learning disabilities (SLDs) is key to supporting their academic achievement and well-being. In this study, we investigated the differences between students with and without SLDs in terms of intraindividual factors (soft skills and study-related factors), academic and nonacademic outcomes (achievement, academic and life satisfaction), and the relationships between such intraindividual factors and the three outcomes. A total of 318 students (79 males; Mage = 22.7; SD = 3.56; age range = 19–45 years; 147 with SLDs) completed self-reported questionnaires and a measure of fluid intelligence. The results showed that students with SLDs reported higher creativity but lower academic self-efficacy, study resilience, and academic achievement, with small-to-medium effect sizes. In both groups, achievement significantly positively related to academic self-efficacy and negatively to creativity. Life satisfaction was positively related to study resilience; and academic satisfaction was related to critical thinking, curiosity, and academic self-efficacy. Nurturing such intraindividual factors can benefit students with and without SLDs.

Quand penser à l’existence d’un trouble spécifique du développement et des apprentissages associé au TDAH de l’enfant ?

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) face ongoing academic challenges that persist into higher education. However, up to date, few studies have focused in assessing the non-cognitive predictors of self-regulated learning (SRL) skills, specifically considering university students with SLD. This cross-sectional correlational study examined how motivational factors (academic self-efficacy and learning goals), academic anxiety, and academic resilience contribute to SRL skills. The AMOS questionnaire was used to assess these variables in a sample of 88 university students with SLD in Italy. Participants were recruited during the renewal process of their diagnostic assessments. Hierarchical regression revealed that motivational factors were the strongest predictors of SRL skills. While academic anxiety did not show a significant main effect, its interaction with gender emerged, indicating that anxiety has a more pronounced negative relationship with SRL skills in female students. These findings underscore the importance of interventions that foster positive motivational factors and address academic anxiety, particularly for women, to support SRL skills in higher education students with SLD.

IntroductionPast research has demonstrated that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorders (SLD), and socioeconomic status (SES) affect a host of educational outcomes. However, there are no studies examining whether SES moderates the association between these neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) and the academic achievement of children and adolescents. The present investigation examined the impact of ADHD and SLD on academic performance in 1,287 Spanish students aged 5–17 from a low-middle (LM)- and a high-income population, when adjusted for comorbidity and demographic factors that may influence educational functioning.MethodsParents completed a questionnaire regarding demographic data along with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Additionally, teachers provided information on learning difficulties trough the Protocol for Detection and Management of Dyslexia. Teacher’s Version. Academic performance across multiple domains (i.e., first language, foreign language, mathematics) was obtained from school records. ND were determined using standardized diagnostic methods based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. To examine the effects of ADHD and SLD on academic achievement and the potential moderating role of SES, a series of ordinal logistic regressions were conducted.ResultsEmotional/behavioral problems, learning difficulties, and ND were more frequent among individuals from the LM-income population. After controlling for gender, age, parental divorce/separation, grade retention, frequency of screen use, and daily meals, both ADHD and SLD were associated with worse educational outcomes. Lower SES also increased the risk for academic impairment, although the interactions with ADHD or SLD were not significant.ConclusionThese findings indicate that ADHD and SLD exert a pervasive impact on academic performance across different socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, early detection and effective intervention strategies aimed at students with these ND are crucial to improve their educational functioning and mitigate the negative consequences related to academic problems.

Sleep disturbances may be a significant source of distress for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and consequently also for their families. Crucially, sleep disturbances might be influenced by comorbidity. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD) often co-occur, and consequently, investigating sleep disturbances in children with comorbidity of ADHD and SLD is essential. Our study aimed at detecting sleep difficulties in a group of 74 children with ADHD, 78 children with SLD, and 76 children with ADHD and SLD by using the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children. The results showed that sleep difficulties emerge more clearly in children with comorbid ADHD and SLD compared to children with only ADHD or SLD. These sleep difficulties were not due to differences in ages and behavioral/emotional problems. In conclusion, evaluating sleep disturbances is important when assessing and managing children with ADHD, SLD, and particularly with the two comorbid conditions, to better understand their difficulties and develop tailored interventions.

Bilgi çağı olarak nitelendirilen günümüzde, bilginin üretildiği, eğitim-öğretim faaliyetlerinin yapıldığı, öğrenimin gerçekleştiği okullardan, bu çağın gereklerine uygun, özgüveni yüksek bir öğrenci profili yetiştirmesi beklenmektedir. Bu konuda öğrenme iklimi önemlidir. İklim alan yazınında örgüt iklimi ve okul iklimi yerine kullanılan yeni bileşenlerden biri olan, öğrenme yetisini ilgilendiren her türlü faktörü içeren öğrenme iklimi; insan unsurları, öğrenmenin gerçekleştiği sanal ve gerçek mekân özellikleri başta olmak üzere pek çok boyutlarıyla ele alınmakta, öğrenme iklimini ölçmeye yönelik geliştirilen araçlarla ölçümler yapılmaktadır. Elde edilen veriler iyileştirme çalışmalarına kaynaklık etmektedir. Çalışmamızda okul öğrenme iklimi okula bağlılık, öğrenme ortamı, iletişim boyutlarıyla ele alınmıştır. Sosyal Bilişsel Kuramın temel kavramlarından özyeterliğin bir türü olarak, öğrencilerin akademik çalışma gerektiren konularda kendilerine olan öz güvenlerini ifade eden, bu kapsamda öğrenebilmek için bireyin etkili biliş stratejilerini kullanabilme, öğrenme çevrelerini ve öğrenme zamanlarını etkili bir şekilde yönetebilme ve kendi performansını etkili bir şekilde düzenleyebilmesi şeklinde de açıklanabilen akademik özyeterlik, araştırmacılarca farklı boyutlarla ele alınmakta, farklı ölçeklerle ölçümler yapılmaktadır. Çalışmamızda, akademik özyeterlik, bilişsel, sosyal ve teknik boyutlarda ele alınmıştır. İnsanı hayatın akışı içerisinde güçlü kılan asıl unsurlar kendine güven, eleştirel bakış, sosyal ilişkilerde başarı, herhangi bir sportif sanatsal ya da kültürel alana ilgi gibi temel beceriler, öğrencilerin okul ikliminden kazandıklarıyla mümkündür. Bu durumda, okulda iyi bir rüzgâr estirebilmenin, yaşanılası ve sevilesi bir hava oluşturabilmenin, özgün ve eleştirel bir zemine oturabilmenin ancak olumlu ve sürdürülebilir bir okul iklimiyle mümkün olduğunu söyleyebiliriz. Akademik özyeterliği olumlu besleyen okul iklimi, iklimin etkilediği insan unsurlarının başarısını da beraberinde getirecektir. Pozitif okul iklimi güçlü akademik özyeterlik akademik başarının da en büyük araçları haline gelecektir. Öğrenme iklimini ölçmek, okullardaki kişilerarası ilişkiler, rol modeller, beklentileri vb. boyutlarıyla hayatın kalitesini aynı zamanda öğrencilerin başarısını ve memnuniyetini anlamaya yardımcı olabilmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, yüksek din öğrenim gören öğrencilerin öğrenme iklimi algıları ile akademik özyeterlik ve akademik başarıları arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Bu çerçevede dört temel araştırma sorusu cevaplanmaya çalışılmıştır: (i) Yüksek din öğrenimi öğrencilerinin öğrenme iklimi ve akademik özyeterlik algıları ne düzeydedir? (ii) Yüksek din öğrenimi öğrencilerinin öğrenme iklimi ve akademik özyeterlik algıları arasında anlamlı ilişki var mıdır? (iii) Yüksek din öğrenimi öğrencilerinin yaş, öğrenme iklimi ve akademik özyeterlik inançları akademik başarılarının anlamlı yordayıcısı mıdır? (iv) Yüksek din öğrenimi öğrencilerinin öğrenme iklimine dair olumsuz algılarına ilişkin görüşleri nelerdir? Karma yöntem ve yakınsak paralel araştırma deseni ile desenlenen araştırmada çeşitleme stratejisi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada, Türkiye'de devlet üniversiteleri bünyesindeki muhtelif İlahiyat ve İslami İlimler Fakültelerinde yüksek din öğrenimi gören, altı fakülteden, nicel bölümde 1147 öğrenciye Owen ve Froman tarafından geliştirilen, Ekici tarafından Türkçe’ye uyarlaması yapılan Akademik Özyeterlik Ölçeği ve Terzi tarafından geliştirilen, Üniversite Öğrencilerine Yönelik Okul İklimi Ölçeği uygulanırken, nitel bölümde ise aynı fakültelerden 18 öğrenciye görüşme formu doldurtulmuştur. 2019 Mayıs ayında gerçekleştirilen araştırma sonrası elde edilen nicel veri setine normallik testi uygulanmış, verilerin analizinde; Bağımsız Gruplar t Testi, Mann Whitney U Testi, Levene testi, Tek Yönlü Varyans Analizi (ANOVA), Scheffe Testi, Kruskal Wallis H Testi, Pearson product-Moment Korelasyonu, Polyserial Korelasyonu ve Yol Analizi yapılmıştır. Nitel veriler betimsel analizle çözümlenmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, yüksek din öğrenimi öğrencilerinin öğrenme iklimi algıları olumsuz çıkmıştır. Yüksek din öğrenimi öğrencilerinin genel olarak Akademik Özyeterlik algıları da olumsuz çıkmıştır. Okul İklimi Ölçeğinin genel ortalaması ile Akademik Özyeterlik Algısı Ölçeğinin genel ortalaması arasında korelasyon orta düzeydedir. Araştırma sonucuna göre elde edilen bulgular alanyazın eşliğinde tartışılmış ve yorumlar sonrası yüksek din öğretiminde pozitif bir öğrenme iklimini sağlayacağı, yüksek din öğretimi öğrencilerinin akademik özyeterliklerini güçlendireceği ve akademik başarılarını artıracağı düşünülen çeşitli çözüm önerileri sunulmuştur.

To (1) compare academic self-efficacy and study engagement between students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), (2) examine procrastination, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships with peers and faculty as possible associated factors, and (3) explore whether these associations differ between students with and without ADHD. Students in higher education with ADHD (n = 99; Mage = 22.29, 79.8 % female) and without ADHD (n = 182, Mage = 21.57, 83.5 % female) completed scales. Data were analyzed with linear regression. Students with ADHD reported lower academic self-efficacy (d = -.45, p < .001) and study engagement (d = -.42, p = .003), more procrastination (d = 1.32, p < .001), lower self-esteem (d = -.36, p = .007), and poorer relationships with peers (d = -.65, p < .001) and faculty (d = -.49, p < .001) than students without ADHD. Across groups, higher academic self-efficacy was associated with less procrastination (β = -.24, p < .001), higher self-esteem (β =.32, p < .001), and better relationships with faculty (β =.37, p < .001). Self-efficacy and self-esteem were more strongly associated in students with ADHD. Higher study engagement was associated with less procrastination and better relationships with peers and faculty. Females without ADHD reported higher study engagement than males, whereas no gender differences were found among students with ADHD. Students with ADHD experience lower academic self-efficacy and study engagement than their peers. Addressing procrastination and fostering social and academic integration may improve these outcomes.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has a high comorbidity with specific learning disorders (SLD). Children with ADHD and children with SLD show specific cognitive deficits. This study aims to examine similarities and differences between cognitive profiles of children with ADHD + SLD, children with SLD only, and a control group to find out whether specific or shared deficits can be identified for the groups. We compared the WISC-V profiles of 62 children with ADHD and SLD (19 girls, M-age = 10.44; SD = 2.44), 35 children with SLD (13 girls, M-age = 10.21; SD = 2.11) and 62 control children without ADHD or SLD (19 girls, M-age = 10.42; SD = 2.39). The ADHD + SLD group performed worse than the control group in the WISC-V indices WMI, PSI, FSIQ, AWMI, CPI and worse than the SLD group in these indices and the VCI, NVI and GAI. Therefore, compared to children with SLD, children with ADHD + SLD did not show specific impairments in any particular cognitive domain but rather non-specific impairment in almost all indices. Hence, the WISC-V is suited to depict the cognitive strength and weaknesses of an individual child as a basis for targeted intervention.

Pay attention to digital text: The impact of the media on text comprehension and self-monitoring in higher-education students with ADHD

A quarter of children with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) have a comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which impacts the testing of intelligence. ADHD is therefore treated before proceeding with the assessment of intelligence. It is expected that the treatment of ADHD will mitigate its effects on intelligence testing. Though this is frequently done in clinical practice, we could not find any study comparing IQ profiles of children having SLD with and without ADHD after treating ADHD to look for any changes between them. Therefore, we planned this study to compare the cognitive profiles of children having SLD with and without ADHD and describe any difference in their profiles. It was a retrospective cross-sectional study. We compared 695 children having SLD with treated ADHD to 721 children having SLD without ADHD on their WISC III profiles. We found that children having SLD with treated ADHD scored significantly lower on Digit Span and Coding. We suggest routine use of Cognitive Working Memory Training, peer tutoring, and task modifications in children having SLD with ADHD along with medicines and remedial education for better outcomes.

O objetivo deste estudo descritivo foi analisar a associação entre autoeficácia no Ensino Superior e a satisfação acadêmica de estudantes universitários em Educação Física. Participaram 251 universitários matriculados nos cursos de Licenciatura e Bacharelado em Educação Física de uma universidade pública do estado de Santa Catarina/Brasil. Para a coleta de dados, foram utilizadas a Escala de Autoeficácia no Ensino Superior e a Escala de Satisfação com Experiências Acadêmicas. Os dados foram processados utilizando recursos estatísticos descritivos e inferenciais no software SPSS, versão 25.0. Os resultados mostraram escores médios superiores a sete em todas as dimensões da autoeficácia, com destaque para as dimensões social e gestão. Especificamente, quanto mais o aluno se percebe autoeficaz, mais satisfeito ele fica com a instituição. As evidências ressaltam a importância de pesquisas focadas na relação entre autoeficácia acadêmica e satisfação de estudantes do Ensino Superior para a melhoria da qualidade dos cursos ofertados.

Understanding the academic motivations of students with a history of reading difficulty: An expectancy-value-cost approach

This mini-review examines the available papers about virtual reality (VR) as a tool for the diagnosis or therapy of neurodevelopmental disorders, focusing on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). Through a search on literature, we selected 62 studies published between 1998 and 2024. After exclusion criteria, our synoptic table includes 32 studies on ADHD (17 were on diagnostic evaluation and 15 were on therapeutic interventions), 2 on pure ASD, and 2 on pure SLD. These cover a total of 8,139 participants with ADHD (ages 3–19), 458 with ASD (ages 4–19), and 162 with SLD (ages 7–11). Results show that VR offers high ecological validity and enables improvements in cognitive and social skills. Specifically, in individuals with ADHD, VR showed benefits in attention and executive function, with optimal results when combined with pharmacological treatments. For ASD kids, VR proved effective in enhancing social skills and emotional regulation through personalized virtual scenarios. However, the literature on SLD remains limited, suggesting an evolving area of research. Despite limitations related to small sample sizes and technology costs, VR presents a promising outlook for clinical intervention in neuro-developmental disorders, supporting enhanced skills in a safe and controlled environment. We conclude that both immersive and non-immersive VR represents a valuable supplement to traditional therapies, allowing for personalized approaches.

This study assessed the positive perception of distance learning of undergraduate students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or specific learning disorder (SLD), and examined their personal resources (academic self-efficacy [ASE] and sense of coherence [SOC]), and social vulnerability (loneliness) in predicting their positive distance learning perception. Participants were 276 Israeli undergraduates, 138 diagnosed with ADHD/SLD and 138 in a comparison group without disabilities. Students’ positive perceptions toward distance learning, ASE, SOC, and loneliness were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Students with ADHD/SLD reported a less positive perception of distance learning, lower ASE and SOC, and higher loneliness than students without disabilities. In both groups, females had a more positive perception of distance learning than males. ASE uniquely contributed to a positive perception of distance learning only for students with ADHD/SLD. As hybrid learning becomes more and more common in higher education, it is critical to understand the unique needs and adaptation to distance learning of students with ADHD/SLD.

How to advance the understanding of multimorbidity in neurodevelopmental disorders using longitudinal research?