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Syrian refugee pupils’ experiences of education, support systems, and community in Northern Ireland Jonathan Heaney (24165771) PUREID: 382764812 As of 2022, Syria has an estimated population of 18 million people and has been engulfed in a multisided civil war since 15th March 2011. Since 2015, approximately 1,900 Syrian refugees have arrived in Northern Ireland, 700 of which are school-aged children and young people. The existing literature on the experiences of refugee children, particularly those living in Northern Ireland is limited. As a result, this study aims to understand the lived experience of Syrian refugee pupils, with a particular focus on their educational and community experiences of living in Northern Ireland as their new host country, as well as their support systems in the process of adaptation. Seven participants (aged 11-17 years old) who identified as a Syrian refugee took part in one-to-one semi-structured interviews which were conducted via Zoom and in-person. The findings were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis which yielded four major themes that reflected previous research in this field. Educational Support and Barriers captures the role of the supportive teacher and the impact of the language barrier on socialisation and communication. Family Connectedness discusses the importance of the family and acknowledges that children undertake parental roles. Social Relationships looks at group divisions, the preference for friendships with Syrian peers and a desire for friendships with English-speaking peers.<br><br>Places of Belonging describes Northern Ireland as a safe place in contrast to previous host or home countries. Implications for Educational Psychology practice and recommendations are also discussed,<br>as well as a personal reflection and directions for future research. 2026-10-01T17:01:41Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32633610.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Syrian_refugee_pupils_experiences_of_education_support_systems_and_community_in_Northern_Ireland/32633610 All Rights Reserved