The Queen’s University Belfast and Nuffield Foundation research project has arranged focus group dates to meet with staff and members of community organisations that work with minority ethnic and migrant communities.
The focus groups will help to ensure that the research captures the breadth of experience across different areas and communities in Northern Ireland.
The focus groups are planned for the dates below, and will take place online and last approximately one hour:
- Friday 12 February 2022 at 11 AM
- Wednesday 23 February 2022 at 7 PM
- Friday 25 February 2022 at 2 PM
- Thursday 3 March 2022 at 3 PM
Full details of the focus groups are included below. QUB would welcome participation from staff, volunteers and parent representatives from community organisations.
Get involved
If you would like to find out more about the research project or take part, then contact Dr Rebecca Loader by email on r.loader@qub.ac.uk.
Participant Information
Title of study: Experiences of education among minority ethnic groups in Northern Ireland
Would you like to take part in important research on education in Northern Ireland?
You are being invited to take part in a research study which will explore the experiences of education among minority ethnic groups in Northern Ireland. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important that you understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take the time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Thank you for reading this.
What is the purpose of the study?
We are conducting a research project on the school experiences of minority ethnic and migrant children and parents in Northern Ireland. The aims of the research are to understand minority ethnic pupils’ and families’ experiences and views of education, and to develop recommendations to address inequalities and gaps in provision. It will consider topic areas such as: school choice, the curriculum, the school social environment, and parent-school engagement.
Why have I been chosen?
You have been asked to take part in this study because of your knowledge and experience of issues affecting minority ethnic and migrant groups in education in Northern Ireland. For this part of the study, we are conducting focus groups with adults who are employees or members of organisations that work with minority ethnic and migrant groups, including parent representatives. You have been invited to take part in these focus groups on this basis. At subsequent stages, we plan to interview children and parents/carers from minority ethnic backgrounds across NI, as well as educators, policymakers and representatives from statutory and voluntary agencies who work in education.
Do I have to take part?
No. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part, you will be given this information sheet to keep and you will be asked to sign a consent form. If you choose to take part, you can change your mind at any time before, during or after the study and withdraw from the research, without giving a reason, by informing a member of the research team. If you have already taken part in a focus group and wish to withdraw, you can remove your data at any time until the point that the data are analysed and written up in the report (31 July 2022). A decision to withdraw will not affect the standard of care you receive.
What will happen if I take part?
If you agree to take part in this research, you will be asked to participate in a focus group discussion online, using Microsoft Teams. Those who take part in the focus group will be representatives of organisations which work with minority ethnic groups in Northern Ireland and parents/carers who are involved with these groups. The focus group will discuss your views on issues in education affecting minority ethnic pupils and parents/carers, with a particular focus on topics such as school choice and admissions, the curriculum, and relationships between pupils, between pupils and teachers, and between parents and schools. The discussions will also explore how these issues might impact groups differently based on, for example, where they live, their cultural, linguistic and social background, and their migration status. A member of the research team will lead the discussion, which will last a maximum of 60 minutes and will be audio-recorded.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Through your involvement in this study, you will have the opportunity to shape research which aims to develop recommendations to address inequalities and enhance the educational experience of minority ethnic and migrant pupils in Northern Ireland.
What if something goes wrong?
If you have concerns about any aspects of the study, you can contact the Principal Investigator, Dr Rebecca Loader (Telephone: 028 9097 1363; Email: r.loader@qub.ac.uk). Should you remain unhappy and wish to make a formal complaint, you can contact the Research Governance Team at Queen’s University Belfast (Telephone: 028 9097 2529; Email: researchgovernance@qub.ac.uk).
Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?
Your name will not be included or attributed to anything you say during the focus group discussion. Information provided will be anonymous and kept strictly confidential. Limits to confidentiality will however apply if a child protection issue, criminal behaviour or professional malpractice is disclosed, and this will be reported to an appropriate authority. Electronic information will be stored securely in a password-protected folder on Queen’s University’s filestore, and access to the data will be restricted to the research team. Anonymised data from the focus group discussions will be held securely by Queen’s University for five years, after which time it will destroyed. Anonymised and non-identifiable data will also be archived by the UK Data Service, with access granted only on approval by the research team. Any information that would be identifiable to you will not be used in any public outputs of the research.
This research will be conducted at all times in compliance with data protection legislation. For more detail about how we look after your information, how to access your rights and who to contact if you have any queries or concerns about data protection, please visit the Queen’s University Belfast website.
What will happen to the results of the research?
Once the research has been carried out, the information will be written up in summary and full reports which will be sent to participants to read. The research team will share the results of the full study at a workshop in Belfast in spring 2023 and use the findings to inform recommendations for changes to policy and practice to improve educational provision for minority ethnic groups in Northern Ireland. They will also publish articles based on the study in academic journals and may present findings at meetings and conferences.
Who is organising and funding the research?
There are four researchers: Prof Joanne Hughes (Co-Investigator), Dr Aisling O’Boyle (Co-Investigator) and Dr Erika Jiménez (Research Fellow) working on this project, which is led by Dr Rebecca Loader (Principal Investigator). Data from this study will be kept secure and only accessed by the research team during the project’s duration. This research is being funded by The Nuffield Foundation which is an independent charitable trust which aims to advance educational opportunity and social well-being.
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee in the School of Social Sciences,
Education and Social Work at Queen’s University Belfast.