The influence of sense of school belonging on Traveller students’ completion of the Junior Certificate cycle in Irish secondary schools

School dropout is an international problem, associated with a number of negative implications for students, families, schools and a country's economy.

Travellers historically are a population associated with high school dropout rates and have continued to leave school early despite increasing settlement changes among this population.

In gaining a clear understanding of school dropout, sense of belonging has received increasing attention over the years as a potential alterable variable in promoting positive school behaviours.

However research to-date has not examined the influence of sense of school belonging on Traveller students' attendance and subsequent completion of their schooling.

This thesis research aims to examine the influence of sense of school belonging on reducing school dropout among the Traveller population.

Part one of the thesis, the systematic review, undertakes a comprehensive search of the literature in examining the relationship between sense of school belonging and school dropout.

This review highlights the potential contribution of sense of school belonging in reducing school dropout as well as identifying a clear gap within the research literature on this topic.

Part two, the empirical paper, aims to fill this gap through a research study based upon the influence of sense of school belonging on Traveller students' completion of the Junior Certificate cycle in Irish secondary schools.

The study's results are examined and discussed as well as limitations and implications of the study presented.

Finally part three of the thesis, the critical appraisal, provides an overview of the research process including the researcher's epistemological stance as well as methodological and statistical analysis choices.

A reflection on the research process as a whole is provided including an overview of the distinctive contribution of the current research.