The Lived Experience of Mature Undergraduate Nursing Students with Quasi-Dyslexia: Navigating Ongoing Academic Challenges
Ryan, Jacinth Anne (2025) The Lived Experience of Mature Undergraduate Nursing Students with Quasi-Dyslexia: Navigating Ongoing Academic Challenges. Doctoral thesis, Birmingham City University.
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Abstract
This study centres on the importance of revisiting institutional practices by exploring the lived experience of mature quasi-dyslexic undergraduate nursing students within a post-1992 university in the West Midlands. Persistent academic challenges prompted their actions to undergo screening and/or diagnostic assessment for dyslexia to explain their poor academic performance. However, the outcome concluded that they did not have dyslexia. Subsequently, they are considered quasi-dyslexic and would not be eligible for reasonable adjustments through Disabled Student Allowance (DSA), which includes tailored support to meet their diverse needs.
Five female participants, regarded as mature students due to a break in their learning and an increased probability of a ‘non-traditional’ educational background, engaged in phenomenological semi-structured interviews. Their perspective contributes enlightenment to their thoughts and feelings through deep, reflective conversations. The study uses psychological theories and social theorists, such as Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of practice to explore factors that influence their self-perception. An interpretative phenomenological approach critically examines and comprehends the nuanced and complex subjective lived experience.
This study uses feminist standpoint theory as a framework for understanding and analysing the experiences of the participants, by critically examining the institutional structures that sustain inequalities and marginalisation. The findings reveal three main themes: A Sense of Uncertainty, The Academically Struggling Student, and A Sense of Inadequacy. These themes emphasise how institutional structures and powerful narratives, such as the archetypal student in university, shape self-perception and influence the educational journey. Consequently, the findings reveal a significant need for universities to adjust the responsibility from students to the educational institutions by demanding a universal recontextualisation of pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, educators need to facilitate the development of metacognitive study skills and strategies for mature quasi-dyslexic learners and learners from ‘non-traditional’ educational backgrounds. Transforming these established ways will empower mature, quasi-dyslexic students to assert their identities as students within the university.
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