Neurodivergent students exhibit an inclination towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, yet their learning experiences in STEM courses remain underexamined. Utilizing an online survey of neurodivergent (n = 60) and neurotypical (n = 83) US college students, this study identified various factors influencing their self‐perceived learning experiences, including interest in the course content, instruction quality and performance outcomes. Compared to their neurotypical peers, neurodivergent students attributed negative experiences in STEM courses less frequently to performance‐related factors and more often to a mismatch between their interests and the course content. Both groups also articulated a variety of strengths and challenges encountered in their STEM studies. Neurodivergent students were more likely to report having interest and passion for STEM and less likely to report having peer support and effective study skills and habits as their primary strength for studying STEM. Conversely, while neurotypical students cited difficult content as their central challenge, neurodivergent students more commonly faced challenges with focus and attention. Despite the study's limited sample size, it revealed emerging patterns that emphasize the importance of developing inclusive teaching methods and specific support mechanisms to cater to the unique strengths and challenges of neurodivergent students in higher education.

中文翻译：

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探索神经分歧大学生在 STEM 课程中的学习体验

神经分歧的学生表现出对科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 领域的倾向，但他们在 STEM 课程中的学习经历仍然没有得到充分检验。利用神经分歧的在线调查（n= 60) 和神经典型 (n= 83) 美国大学生，这项研究确定了影响他们自我感知学习经历的各种因素，包括对课程内容的兴趣、教学质量和表现结果。与神经典型的同龄人相比，神经分歧的学生将 STEM 课程中的负面经历较少归因于与表现相关的因素，而更多地归因于他们的兴趣与课程内容之间的不匹配。两个小组还阐述了他们在 STEM 研究中遇到的各种优势和挑战。神经分歧的学生更有可能表示对 STEM 感兴趣和热情，而不太可能表示将同伴支持以及有效的学习技能和习惯作为他们学习 STEM 的主要优势。相反，虽然神经典型的学生将困难的内容视为他们的主要挑战，但神经分歧的学生更普遍面临注意力和注意力方面的挑战。尽管该研究的样本量有限，但它揭示了新兴的模式，强调开发包容性教学方法和具体支持机制的重要性，以满足高等教育中神经分歧学生的独特优势和挑战。