Bibliographic details and abstracts are available to all. Downloads of full-text dissertations are restricted to University of Portsmouth members who must login. MPhils may be accessed by all.

Abstract

This study has investigated potential impacts of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on children’s learning in secondary schools located in the South East of England. Children with ADHD often exhibit behaviours (symptoms of the condition) that can make it hard to focus, complete work and even make friends at school, often resulting in a negative experience and potential outcome of school and education for such students. This could potentially worsen conditions that are often known to be co-morbid with ADHD, such as anxiety or depression. Developing knowledge on the impacts and needs of children with ADHD in secondary school could therefore help to minimise such co-morbid issues by allowing an improved and more positive and effective school experience. For example enlightening teachers on ways they could adapt their classes to meet the needs of their pupils with ADHD. Interviews were identified as the most appropriate method to use for this small scale study. Subsequently, a literature review was carried out to explore historical and current context in this area. Interviews with 5 teachers from mainstream secondary schools in the South East of England, all with experience of teaching pupils with ADHD were carried out and data derived from them was analysed and evaluated to incur conclusions. As such, the study concluded that ADHD often creates a potentially unfair disadvantage for students living with it, often making the experience of school and education more challenging, not only with regard to the work achieved but due to perceptions of classmates as well. However, such struggles can be diminished or even used to enhance one’s experience upon increased understanding by classmates and teachers.

Course: Education Studies - MA - P2587FTC

Date Deposited: 2023-03-22

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14107.html