Science Education for Students with Specific Learning and Attention Disorders: An Evaluation of Reading Strategies Using Eye-Tracking Technology

Oct 15, 2026

This case study investigates how students with dyslexia and attention deficit process science texts under different instructional design conditions using eye-tracking technology. Four presentation formats were tested: plain text, highlighted text, an infographic, and a decorative image. Eye-tracking measures showed efficient, focused reading in the neurotypical participant, while neurodivergent students displayed disorganized scanpaths, especially with infographics and decorative images. Highlighting and plain text supported more structured reading, particularly for dyslexia, suggesting visual signaling may aid comprehension while seductive details increase extraneous cognitive load and distract attention.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Eye-tracking as an objective method

Background on reading, dyslexia, and ADHD

Science education text demands and instructional design

Proceedings of the 6th International Baltic Symposium on Science and Technology Education, BalticSTE2025 158 SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING AND ATTENTION DISORDERS: AN EVALUATION OF READING STRATEGIES USING EYE-TRACKING TECHNOLOGY Aušrinė Raudoniūtė Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania E-mail: [ausrineraud@gmail.com](ausrineraud@gmail.com) Abstract This case study examined how students with learning (dyslexia) and attention deficit process science texts under different instructional design conditions using eye-tracking technology. The aim was to examine the impact ofseductive details and visual enhancement elements on reading behaviour and cognitive load. A qualitative case study was conducted with three neurodivergent students andone neurotypical participant (ages 11–14), each exposed tofour conditions: plain text, highlighted text, infographic, and decorative image. Eye-tracking data revealed that neurotypical reading was efficient, with short fixations, minimal regressions, andfocused attention. In contrast, neurodivergent students exhibited disorganized scanpaths, particularly under conditions involving infographics and decorative images. Highlighted and plain text conditions supported more structured reading, especially for the student with dyslexia. The results suggest that seductive details increase extraneous cognitive load and distract attention in students with cognitive vulnerabilities, whereas signaling via text highlighting may partially support comprehension. These findings highlight the potential of eye-tracking to inform inclusive instructional design and emphasize the importance ofminimizing irrelevant visual input in science education materials. Keywords: attention-deficit disorder, specific learning disorder, reading difficulties, eye-tracking technology, scanpath comparison Introduction Success in learning builds self-confidence and helps achieve goals. One of the first goals in school is to learn reading, counting, and correct speech (Bellocchi et al., 2013; Church et al., 2023) . Reading integrates visual, attentional, and oculomotor processes, not just linguistic ones (Schuett et al., 2008) . Already in 1879, ophthalmologist Louis Émile Javal observed eye movements during reading, noting they differed from usual gaze behaviour (Prabha et al., 2019) . Since the 1970s, infrared-based eye-tracking (ET) technology has enabled objective analysis of how students process texts and direct attention (Angele & Duñabeitia, 2024; Y. Chen et al., 2023) . Nowadays, developing eye-tracking technology (hereafter referred to as ET) offers numerous advantages, primarily due to its non-invasive nature. In contrast to traditional methods of identifying not only cognitive processes but also learning difficulties, ET is more time-efficient and generally reduces stress for participants, thereby potentially minimizing error rates and This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Proceedings of the 6th International Baltic Symposium on Science and Technology Education, BalticSTE2025 159 data distortion linked to stress. Besides, traditional questionnaires rely on subjective interpretations of results and are often not adapted to linguistic or cultural diversity. Beyond ET benefits, this method allows participants to engage in research tasks directly on a computer screen with minimal effort and enables the collection of quantitative data that objectively contributes to studies of reading behaviour, attention distribution and identification of learning difficulties (Coenen et al., 2024; Toki, 2024). In recent years, ET has been widely applied in fields such as advertising and communication, particularly for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing strategies (Bauer & Hantel, 2022; Grigaliūnaitė& Pilelienė, 2015), in clinical studies, including those focused on oculomotor changes associated with dementia (Norouzi et al.,

FAQs

How was eye-tracking used in the study?

Students read science texts presented in four formats while eye-tracking recorded fixation patterns and scanpaths to assess attention and cognitive load.

What instructional conditions were compared?

The study compared plain text, highlighted text, an infographic, and a decorative image, examining how each design affected reading behaviour.

What were the key differences between neurotypical and neurodivergent readers?

Neurotypical reading showed short fixations, minimal regressions, and focused attention, whereas neurodivergent students showed disorganized scanpaths, notably under infographic and decorative-image conditions.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood