Recipient organisationKing's College LondonSource-published name: King's College London
Funding£134K
PeriodSept 2025 — Sept 2026
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
University students with ADHD are being asked to describe how their own curiosity helps or hinders their learning, in a project that treats that heightened drive to explore as a potential strength rather than a deficit. This matters because most research on ADHD in education focuses on difficulties with attention and impulsivity, while ignoring how the intense curiosity many people with ADHD experience might actually support learning. The researcher will conduct in-depth interviews with university students who have ADHD, centring their own accounts of how curiosity plays out in lectures, assignments, and self-study. The goal is to understand when curiosity fuels deep engagement and when it leads to distraction or task-switching. If the project succeeds, it could change how universities design teaching. Instead of assuming all students benefit from rigid deadlines and linear progression, educators might learn to build in space for curiosity-driven exploration. The findings will feed into practical training materials for lecturers, policy recommendations for inclusive higher education, and public resources shared through advocacy groups and podcasts. This is applied research with a direct target: making university work better for neurodivergent learners.
View original technical description
Curiosity is a fundamental driver of learning, shaping how individuals seek information, sustain attention, and develop knowledge (Gottlieb & Oudeyer, 2018; Kidd & Hayden, 2015; Von Stumm et al., 2011). However, research suggests that curiosity manifests differently in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), presenting both opportunities and challenges in academic settings (Marvin et al., 2020; Whitecross & Smithson, 2023). While curiosity can enhance intrinsic motivation, engagement, and deep learning, it can also lead to distraction, impulsivity, and difficulty prioritizing tasks, particularly in structured learning environments that emphasize linear progression and rigid deadlines (Litman & Spielberger, 2003; Ashinoff & Abu-Akel, 2021; Stein et al., 2007). Despite growing recognition of curiosity’s role in learning (Gruber et al., 2014; Kang et al., 2009), little research has explored how students with ADHD perceive curiosity in their own learning experiences. Do they see it as an asset or a challenge? How do they manage curiosity to support their academic goals? What strategies could improve their learning outcomes? This fellowship will investigate the self-perceptions of curiosity in higher education students with ADHD, focusing on both the obstacles it presents and the strengths it offers. Building on my previous theoretical research exploring the evolutionary basis for the potentially high level of curiosity observed in ADHD (Le Cunff, 2024) and a quantitative survey (completion expected by September 2025), I will conduct qualitative interviews with university students with ADHD to explore their experiences with curiosity in academic contexts. This project will centre on student voices and lived experiences to explore curiosity as a potential strength in ADHD. The impact of this fellowship extends beyond research—it is about shaping real-world practices to support neurodivergent learners. Findings will be translated into practical applications, ensuring that students, educators, and policymakers can benefit from this knowledge. Key outcomes include: Peer-reviewed publications to advance knowledge in neuroeducation and ADHD research. Conference presentations to engage with experts in psychology, neuroscience, and education. Educational materials and training for universities to help educators design learning environments that accommodate curiosity-driven learning in ADHD students. Engagement with ADHD advocacy groups, student networks, and public audiences, through blog posts, podcasts, and social media outreach, ensuring that research findings are widely accessible. Policy recommendations for inclusive higher education, offering guidance on how institutions can better support curiosity-driven learning for neurodivergent students. By investigating how students with ADHD perceive their own curiosity and how it affects their academic experiences, this project will inform more inclusive teaching practices, challenge outdated models of ADHD in education, and promote strength-based approaches to neurodivergent learning. Through this fellowship, I will build the foundation for a long-term research career in neuroeducation and ADHD, while ensuring that my findings contribute to both academic knowledge and practical change in higher education.
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