Using participatory action research to better understand the challenges and successes of integrating asylum seeking populations into school communities

Supervisors: Jana Kreppner, Bee Hartwell, Larissa Cunningham

Systematic literature review - Exploring the voices and perspectives of those who shape the educational outcomes of refugee and asylum seeking youth in the everchanging UK context; a qualitative synthesis

The review will consider publications spanning from 2003-2023 to consider the experiences of relevant professionals  within an ever changing social and political context. Specifically, 2003 saw the introduction of a new policy "Every Child Matters" (DfES, 2003). This sought to meet the welfare needs of all children under the age of 19, and explicitly stated the need to protect unaccompanied asylum seeking children entering the UK. Since then, there have been important changes in government and policy as well as global crisis (e.g., armed conflicts), which have led many civilians to flee their home countries to find safety in Europe. Such continuing changes in global and local contexts and policy will inevitably shape the experience of  school staff when supporting children and young people seeking asylum. Accordingly, this systematic synthesis will consider the staff experiences of working with asylum seeking populations within school, whilst recognising the contemporaneous context within which their accounts are placed. It will ask the question: In light of changing contexts and cultural circumstances, what are the experiences and perspectives of staff in schools working with refugee and asylum seeking pupils in the UK? 

Research project - Using participatory action research to better understand the challenges and successes of integrating asylum seeking populations into school communities.

When working alongside refugee and asylum seeking populations, it is important for the researcher to recognise their own limitations as an expert. Participatory action research (PAR) is a co-researcher model of methodological design. It centralises the active involvement of the group of people who have lived experiences of the topic in which the research is taking place (Lenette, 2022). As part of this, the participants are co-researchers; to be researched with, not on. The findings are acted upon to improve the lives of those who took part (Raynor, 2019). PAR has been used to work with refugee and asylum seeking populations, and is thought to be an effective way to create action for change (Benson et al., 2021; Middleton et al., 2021). In the present study, PAR will be the methodology to understand the needs and challenges faced by refugee and asylum seeking families joining school communities within the UK, and what might improve this transition and integration. It seeks to follow a social constructivist epistemology, whereby the issues, ideas and concepts will be constructed alongside an expert by experience co-researcher group. A co-researcher group will be formed of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils. Together, we will choose a particular topic to create best practice guidance for schools for working with this population and supporting their integration. The guidance will be reviewed by educational practitioners in the area to ensure that what is put forward is both plausible and possible.