Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on New Trends in Teaching and Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Exploring the university experience of female neurodivergent students with ADHD across three continents: Australia, Sweden and Canada
Dr. Kathy Gibbs (Lead), Associate Professor Katherine Main, Dr Louise Maddock, Dr. Linda Plantin Ewe, Katarina Nilfyr; Annika Fjelkner, Colin Henning
ABSTRACT:
There are growing numbers of female university students globally who are seeking diagnoses of or have recently been diagnosed with ADHD. Almost all diagnoses and university responses to ADHD focus on male university students, yet ADHD sub-types differ between males and females. Female university students are the focus of this study because there is limited international research about girls and women. A review of literature highlights extremely limited research focused on female university student wellbeing, participation, and academic success aside from one small UK published study with eight participants by Morley and Tyrell in 2023. This study will describe how female students, who have been or are seeking a diagnosis of ADHD, are engaged with and supported to succeed in their university studies, in one metropolitan Australian university, one Swedish university and one Canadian university. Data collection, focusing on 30 (10 students from each university) currently enrolled students will include an online demographic survey and online semistructured individual interviews. Through the student voice, we will describe the factors that facilitate or are barriers to their participation and wellbeing in their university studies. This research is, to our knowledge, the first study in Australia, Sweden and Canada combined to investigate how female university students with ADHD need to be supported in their university education. Involving three universities across three continents enables a comparative analysis and a broader evidentiary basis to inform policy and practice in the tertiary education sector. Importantly, the project will enable enhanced understandings of how university is experienced by female students with ADHD. Conceptually and procedurally, the findings will provide the much-needed evidenced-based outcomes to support applications for funding to conduct a larger-scale research project exploring this critical, yet under researched, area
Keywords: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Females, University Students. well-being, academic success, support