How the experience of dyslexia at school influenced individuals’ approaches to life-long learning

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand how the condition of dyslexia influences the students’ learning and social relations while at school as well as after they finished their schooling. There will be two foci: one on the challenges for academic learning and how this may have influenced the emotional and social experience at school; and the other on how these experiences have influenced their approach to learning beyond formal education and to life in general. Five young adults aged between 18 and 21 years old with a profile of dyslexia were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: ‘Struggles with anxiety and self-esteem at school’, ‘Struggles with academic learning’, ‘Different levels of support’, and ‘Current perspectives’. The results obtained corresponded with the literature. Results also showed that the effects of dyslexia followed the participants throughout their life, both in learning and in social contexts. This study showed the importance of considering not only the impact of dyslexia on the students’ learning but also on their psycho-social experience.