Workplace Orientations of Language Teachers with ADHD

In Japan, much research has been conducted regarding the experiences of neurodiverse students in the language classroom with several teacher-researchers offering recommendations for how to make language classrooms more inclusive and equitable (e.g., Burke et al 2024, Plummer 2020, Sato 2021). A focus on learners is necessary if we, as language educators, are to provide neurodiverse students opportunities for academic success. However, it is also prudent to examine neurodivergence in teachers in order to understand how it affects teaching practices and perspectives on learning. Current research on the experiences of neurodiverse language teachers is scarce, with Cuervo Rodriguez and Castañeda-Trujillo (2021) and Jones and Noble (2023), providing the impetus for a mixed-methods study conducted by the authors of this paper on self-efficacy and how it affects teaching practice (Jones and Clark 2024). This paper seeks to fill the lacuna in this area and provide workplaces with concrete practical suggestions for how to support their faculty with ADHD. The paper reports initial findings of an interview study conducted with nine non-Japanese tertiary level instructors selected from the original sample (Jones and Clark 2024). The research concerns three questions: 1) How do language teachers with ADHD describe their everyday work lives? 2) What kind of supports and obstacles do language teachers with ADHD encounter in the workplace? 3) How can teachers with ADHD be better supported in the workplace? While the sample population is university teachers in Japan, findings are relevant to other settings and contexts. The findings will be of interest to administrators and educators who wish to create a working environment that is inclusive for neurodiverse teachers.