Abstract—In an effort to examine the academic functioning
of college students with ADHD, a significant number of females
with ADHD in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) majors volunteered to take part in a
quantitative study at two highly selective 4-year universities.
Data analysis was used to determine whether female
participants with ADHD in STEM majors were achieving at the
same level as their STEM ADHD male and non-STEM female
counterparts. A convenience sample of 27 college students with
ADHD completed the ADHD Indicator Survey created by the
Primary Investigator. Statistical analysis of G.P.A.
self-reported by students indicated that there was not a
significant difference between the mean G.P.A. of females with
ADHD majoring in STEM and females with ADHD who were
non-STEM majors. There also failed to be a significant
difference between the G.P.A.’s of ADHD STEM females and
males with ADHD in STEM. Interestingly, the G.P.A.'s of males
in a STEM major with ADHD differed significantly from that of
ADHD males pursing a non-STEM major. These results
suggested that women with ADHD were just as academically
successful as males with ADHD in a STEM major and females
with ADHD in non-STEM majors.
Index Terms—Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM), academic achievement.
The author is with the Brandman University, 16355 Laguna Canyon Road,
Irvine, CA 80305 USA (e-mail: nnichols@brandman.edu).
Cite: Nicole Nicholson, "Thriving, Not Just Surviving as a Female STEM Major with ADHD: A Quantitative Analysis of Cumulative G.P.A.," International Journal of Information and Education Technology vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 830-833, 2018.