University Students With Specific Learning Disabilities: Do Soft Skills and Study-Related Factors Make a Difference to Their Academic Outcomes?

Abstract

Understanding the role of individual factors associated with positive academic outcomes is fundamental to providing effective support for students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) throughout their academic careers. The present study aimed to investigate group differences between students with and without SLDs and to examine the relationships between study-related factors, social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills, and student outcomes (achievement, academic and life satisfaction, and burnout) in a sample of 752 university students (133 male; M_age = 22.28 years, SD_age = 5.35; 125 with SLDs). The results of the group comparisons showed that students with SLDs reported lower scores in academic self-efficacy, SRL strategies, and self-management skills. This finding suggests that their difficulties may extend beyond the academic domain. Furthermore, we ran a multivariate regression model including study-related factors and SEB skills as independent variables and student outcomes as dependent variables. The results showed that the associations of study-related factors and SEB skills with student outcomes were comparable between students with and without SLDs, although cooperation skills were significantly associated with academic burnout in students without SLDs, but not in students with SLDs. These findings have the potential to inform the development of student-centered practice and policy.