Comparison of Academic Engagement in Elementary Studentswith and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder andLearning Disorder: Is Gender a Matter?

Academic engagement is one of the important variables considered by educational researchers in order to improve the academic quality of students. Neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities, can affect academic engagement. In this study, the aim was to compare the dimensions of academic engagement in students with and without learning disorders and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, considering the gender factor.

The method of research in this study was causal-comparative. The statistical population was all primary school students in Khour and Biabank who were about 896 students (457 girls and 439 boys) in the 2021-2022 academic year the first semester. The sample was 40 normal girl and boy students, 40 girl and boy students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and 40 girl and boy students with learning disabilities. The tools used in this study were the Wang, et al questionnaire of academic engagement (SES), Conners scale (CRS) to screen attention deficiency/hyperactivity disorder, and Colorado questionnaire to evaluate learning disorder (CLDQ). Data analysis was done using SPSS24 software and factor analysis of variance (type of student and gender) was used to analyze the data.

The results showed that regarding the total score of academic engagement and its dimensions, there is a different pattern between the two sexes and the type of disorder.

Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that suffering from attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and learning disorder, gender and the interaction of the two have effects on the dimensions of academic engagement. It is suggested that the possibility of learning disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder should be considered in policies related to increasing students' academic enthusiasm according to gender.