College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Summer 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development

Committee Chair

Elise Cain

Committee Member 1

Antonio Gutierrez de Blume

Committee Member 2

Daniel Calhoun

Abstract

As the number of students with a diagnosis of ADHD rises, postsecondary institutions must determine support services, such as academic coaching, that can contribute to their academic success. This study sought to examine the use of academic coaching in students with ADHD to increase executive functioning skills, while determining if the modality of the sessions affects these skills and student academic success, taking into consideration the role of academic self-efficacy in these behaviors. The study also examined Academic Coaches' perceptions of how their coaching practice impacts student academic success, the survey findings, and the potential impact of those findings on their future coaching practice. The researcher used an explanatory mixed-methods design. Data from the quantitative strand were analyzed using multiple regression, while data from the qualitative strand were analyzed using a constant comparative method to code and identify themes. Findings from this study indicated that the modality of the coaching intervention does not affect academic success or executive functioning skills; however, there is a relationship between academic self-efficacy and GPA, as well as between executive functioning skills and GPA. No relationship was present between academic self-efficacy and retention. Additionally, the qualitative data identified four themes: building a foundation, skills building, finding the “why,” and making a positive change. These four themes describe how the academic coaching practice affects student success at the research institution. This study adds to the literature on academic coaching, student success, executive functioning skills, academic self-efficacy, and ADHD, and offers suggestions for future research in these areas.

OCLC Number

1593828204

Research Data and Supplementary Material

Yes

Download

Share

COinS