Research

The process of transition within school is well-documented, however, the transition from school into tertiary education appears to be significantly under-researched, especially when students have learning differences such as dyslexia and autism. 

In light of this, this research conducted by myself and colleague Sarah Strachan and commissioned by GTC Scotland focused on how well prepared women with autism and/or dyslexia feel when moving into tertiary education and how this impacts their study.

Our findings found that these students lack confidence in all areas that were surveyed, in particular, ‘study skills’ and in perceiving that ‘instructions are given in a format that is easily understood’, whilst other factors such as ‘the correct support will be available’ on request (in respect of mental health), reflect Bolt (2010) and Neilson’s (2011) assertion that students must develop resilience to help them overcome difficulties for themselves in order to  succeed in many tertiary education settings. The results reaffirm Kirwan et al.’s (2011) theories that emotional factors, including self-image, are inseparable from learning strategies, since without the correct support, self-esteem can drop, resulting in a perception that aspects of academic work becomes more difficult. 

Read our full research report by clicking on the button below.