Increasing understanding of professor’s ADHD knowledge and perception of ADHD and how this informs their behavior towards students with ADHD

Author

Rebecca RosenFollow

Preferred Name

Becky

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8324-5895

Date of Graduation

Spring 2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

School of Communication Studies

Advisor(s)

Sharlene Richcards

Alison Bodkin

Kathryn Hobson

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent learning disability experience by 5.3% of students. The behaviors associated with ADHD (hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention) can impact a students’ ability to learn and their behavior and relationships in the classroom. Teachers can help to create a supportive or unsupportive learning environment for students with learning disabilities, specifically ADHD. Unfortunately, these needs are not always met for students in college. Previous research has uncovered primary and secondary teacher’s knowledge, perception, and behavior regarding children with ADHD, but little work has focused on college professors. College professors are likely to have significantly less training regarding ADHD, and students who have this diagnosis, are likely to need additional support in college. A non-random purpose, snow-ball sample of college professors (N=17) was gathered for this study. Semi-structured qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with faculty to better understand faculty’s knowledge and perception of ADHD and students with this diagnosis, as well as their experience(s) working with students who have ADHD and/or ADHD accommodations from the office of disability services. The interview guide contained 11 primary questions as well as follow up questions for many of those. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Tracy (2013), including data immersion, primary cycle coding, and secondary-cycle coding. NVivo was used to store data and to assist with coding the data.

Recommended Citation

Rosen, Rebecca, "Increasing understanding of professor’s ADHD knowledge and perception of ADHD and how this informs their behavior towards students with ADHD" (2019). Masters Theses, 2010-2019. 613.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019/613