Social Attitudes and Integrated Education

This research, commissioned by the Integrated Education Fund, set out to understand how different types of schooling in Northern Ireland (integrated and non-integrated), influence relationships with others from different backgrounds, young people’s social attitudes, and a sense of civic empowerment. With a history of division between communities in Northern Ireland, schools play a key role in shaping how young people see each other and how they think about peace, diversity, and social justice. Utilising a multi-method approach, this research is one of the largest and most detailed investigations of its kind to date, drawing on primary and secondary data from young people aged 11 to 25 with different school backgrounds. The research team collected information from three sources:
1. The PEACE4Youth Impact Evaluation (Blaylock et al., 2022) - Quantitative Secondary data source: Analyses of a sample of approximately 2,500 young people (ages 14-25) involved in peacebuilding programmes drawn from a large-scale survey. The PEACE4Youth programme prioritised children and young people who are most disadvantaged / excluded / marginalised, and who have deep social, emotional, and good relations needs.
2. Education and Social Attitudes Survey – Quantitative Primary data source: A new survey with over 780 pupils in integrated post-primary schools (surveyed in Year 8 and Year 11) collected in Spring 2024.
3. Education and Social Attitudes Focus Groups – Qualitative Primary data source: Conversations with 57 young people (ages 11 – 25) about their experiences in integrated and non-integrated schools in Spring 2024.

Previous studies on integrated education in Northern Ireland have prioritised measurements of cross-community attitudes and contacts. This research employed a wider range of measures than previously attempted in similar studies with three main objectives:
1. Understand experiences of social cohesion and intergroup relations of children and young people (up to age 25) who have experienced integrated education and those who have not.
2. Identify and analyse links between participation in integrated education and social attitudes that foster social cohesion, especially relating to different cultures and religious beliefs, socioeconomic differences and different abilities
3. Identify and analyse links between participation in integrated education and social responsibility and civic engagement including respect for diversity, support for peacebuilding and critical consciousness.
In reporting our findings below we draw from the above sources; however, the results are not always consistent across the studies. We do not seek to resolve these in the presentation of our findings, but we indicate where there are overlaps and where there are complexities and contradictions.