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Academic confidence

and dyslexia at university

A doctoral thesis
Middlesex University, London

2019 Revised October 2020

Andrew Dykes B.Ed, M.A, M.Sc, FHEA

Viva Presentation

  • Non-dyslexic students present higher levels of academic confidence than their dyslexic peers.

  • Quasi-dyslexic students present higher levels of academic confidence than their dyslexic peers.

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  • Students whose dyslexia is diagnosed as a disability present lower levels of academic confidence than those who are told of their dyslexia in other ways.

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Hypotheses

Slide 2

Outcomes

  • A large effect size = +1.09 was indicated between the academic confidence of non-dyslexic students in the Base subgroup and dyslexic students in Control subgroup;

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  • A moderate effect size = +0.41 was indicated between the academic confidence of quasi-dyslexic students in the Test subgroup and dyslexic students in Control subgroup;

  • A moderate effect size = -0.63 was indicated between the academic confidence of students whose dyslexia was diagnosed to them as a disability and those who were told of their dyslexia in other ways. 

Slide 3

Originality   significance  |  rigour

  • ... established previously un-researched relationships between dimensions of dyslexia and academic behavioural confidence at university ...

This study ...

  • ... proposed and justified the premise that knowing about one's dyslexia negatively impacts on academic confidence at university ...

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  • ... devised an innovative, new process to evaluate 'dyslexia-ness' in university students using a Dyslexianess Continuum ...

  • ... developed data-rich, multi-factorial profile visualizations of dyslexia-ness and academic confidence.

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Slide 5

originality    Significance   rigour

5/9

  • ... addressed original, ethically provocative research questions, designed to influence knowledge and scholarly thought, especially in learning differences contexts in HE;

This study ...

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  • ... showed strong academic and practitioner relevance, particularly for promoting a better understanding of the impacts of dyslexia on academic confidence in university study;

  • ... is important for a wide range of target audiences and stakeholders including students, learning development practitioners, dyslexia advisors, and other education researchers.

originality  |  significance  |   Rigour

  • Evidence: the dual-focus, accurately referenced literature review of relevant theories and methodologies demonstrates integrity and intellectual coherence;

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  • Evidence: an extensive review of ABC, and exhaustive development of Dx Index, demonstrates an appropriate and critically robust use of concepts and analyses;

  • Evidence: an innovative research design, clear data collection protocols, data visualizations and analysis demonstrate a clear focus on relating theory to communities of practice in HE.

Slide 6

À suivre ...

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  • Further research to develop and validate the Dyslexia Index Profiler - eg: collect data more widely across the university sector;

  • Develop dyslexia-ness and academic confidence profile visualizations into a learning development tool for use in university contexts;

  • Further exploration of multiple regression analysis of the inter-relationship between dyslexia-ness and academic confidence.

Slide 7

Publications

 - working titles to develop

  • Feature: Diagnosing dyslexia as a disability negatively impacts on academic confidence

Journal: Learning and Individual Differences

*IF: 1.809; SJR: 1129; H:66

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  • Feature: Academic confidence and dyslexia at university: implications for learning development

Journal: Studies in Higher Education

*IF: 2.854; SJR: 1888; H:83

  • Feature: Evaluating dyslexia-ness at university: development of the Dyslexia Index Profiler

Journal: Research in Developmental Disabilities

*IF: 1.872; SJR: 851; H:76  

Slide 8

Learning reflection

  • Process:

- s:  Over-accumulative; pernickety;

+s:  Industrious; efficacious; discerning;

  • Thinking:

- s:  Wayward; single-minded; overzealous;

+s:  Innovative; imaginative; deliberative;

  • Writing:

- s:  Verbose; unfocused; lacking in synthesis;

+s:  Incisive; deductive; connotative;

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Slide 9
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