Taking Boys Seriously – A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Male School-Life Experiences in Northern Ireland
Date published:
This report presents the findings of a 5 year longitudinal study (2006-2011) carried out by The Centre for Young Men’s Studies at the University of Ulster, funded by the Department of Education and the Department of Justice.
The research was initiated in response to concerns about boys’ educational underachievement and wider concerns about boys’ health and well-being. The study annually tracked the same 378 adolescent boys aged 11-16 across nine post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. The longitudinal aspect of the study makes a significant contribution to how we can better understand and appreciate reasons why certain boys may struggle at school and therefore not achieve more successful educational outcomes. The report also looks at how experiences of violence in a post-conflict society impact upon education and learning.