Exploring young people seeking asylum in the UK’s lived experiences of belonging in schools and colleges

Abstract

Developing a sense of connectedness to school has been linked to better psychological wellbeing in young people seeking asylum, however, what factors and processes support them to develop a sense of belonging (SoB) in schools remain not well understood. This thesis composes of three chapters, i) an introduction to the topic, ii) a systematic literature review (SLR) into experiences of belonging in education for young people seeking asylum (YPSA) in the UK, iii) a qualitative research project exploring factors impacting the SoB of YPSA in schools and colleges in the UK.

After a systematic search of the literature, 14 qualitative studies published between 2005 and 2020 including the views of YPSA were identified and quality assessed using the CASP Qualitative checklist. A thematic synthesis of the data identified four overarching themes across the dataset: i) Experiences of relationships, ii) Barriers to learning, iii) Community inclusion, and iv) Impact of asylum-seeking process. These are explored and relevant research and theory is discussed, with implications and future research suggestions highlighted.

In the empirical study, semi-structured focus groups were held with 10 young refugees and asylum seekers aged 16-25 to understand their lived experiences of belonging in education and the perceived impact. Separate focus groups were held with a total of 5 school staff members who have supported young asylum seekers in education to gain their perspectives on the SoB of these individuals and factors that can influence this. Four overarching themes emerged from the data; i) learning accessibility, ii) perceived inclusion, iii) coping with stresses, and iv) ability to communicate. How these fit with the wider research context is considered. Pupil voice is one of the most important ways of identifying areas where changes could be made to improve the SoB amongst YPSA. In gathering pupil experiences as well as the views of the adults supporting these young people, this research provides practical guidance for educational provisions and educational psychologists as well as highlighting links to psychological research and theory.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Jessica Lauren Clapham: orcid.org/0000-0002-7422-7430

ORCID for Jana Kreppner: orcid.org/0000-0003-3527-9083

ORCID for Juljana Vullnetari: orcid.org/0000-0003-1578-8622

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