Dyslexia and difficulties with study skills in higher education
Abstract
This article presents findings from a questionnaire survey of 136 male students, 62 with dyslexia and 74 without dyslexia, from 17 British higher education institutions. The students with dyslexia reported difficulties with a wide range of skills and academic tasks, notably note taking, organization of essays and expressing ideas in writing. They reported that their difficulties were long‐standing and had been experienced in primary and secondary school, although the pattern of these difficulties changed over time. They reported making use of resources available to them, including additional time for examinations, access to dyslexia tutors and support with information technology. However, there are indications of unmet needs in several areas, notably support for specific subjects and with organizing coursework, learning in lectures, and academic writing skills. The implications of these findings for provision for students with dyslexia are discussed.
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Dyslexic students often experience difficulties in written communication that mask underlying disciplinary knowledge and reasoning skills.
“Dyslexic students often experience difficulties in written communication that mask underlying disciplinary knowledge and reasoning skills [24,25].”
From Clinical assessment meets laboratory science: adapting OSCE methodology for authentic biosciences evaluation in the age of generative AI (2025) · cites this paper as [25]
OSCE-style assessments may address inequities faced by other disabled student groups.
“Conversely, OSCE-style assessments may address inequities faced by other disabled student groups.”
From Clinical assessment meets laboratory science: adapting OSCE methodology for authentic biosciences evaluation in the age of generative AI (2025) · cites this paper as [25]
These difficulties may be particularly acute for those reading scientific literature in a second language, and for those with Specific Learning Differences such as dyslexia.
“These difficulties may be particularly acute for those reading scientific literature in a second language, and for those with Specific Learning Differences such as dyslexia [36].”
From Perceptions of scientific research literature and strategies for reading papers depend on academic career stage (2017) · cites this paper as [36]
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“Dyslexic students often experience difficulties in written communication that mask underlying disciplinary knowledge and reasoning skills [24,25].”
Shepherd, N. (2024) · Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Review ISSN: 3078-8358 · doi:10.60087/jissr.v1i1.359
- Authors
- Mortimore, T., & Crozier, W. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Cardiff University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Crozier, W. Ray
- ORCID
- Crozier, W. Ray
- Venue
- Studies in Higher Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2006-04
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 235-251
- ISSN
- 0307-5079 (ISSN-L)
- 1470-174X
- OpenAlex
- W2044217255
- Cited by
- 279
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 34 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 9.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Studies in Higher Education (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Research Space (submittedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Education and Employment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- dyslexia, study skills, university students, note-taking, essay structure, academic writing, unmet needs, IT support
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