Adapting to Diversity: Irish schools and newcomer students (Primary and Second Level School Principals, 2009)

Study Number (SN): 0001-00

 

 

Economic and Social Research Institute (2009). Adapting to Diversity: Irish schools and newcomer students (Primary and Second Level School Principals). [data collection]. Version 1. Irish Social Science Data Archive. SN: 0001-00.  http://www.ucd.ie/issda/datasetsintheissda/adaptingtodiversityirishschoolsandnewcomerstudents/ 

 

ABOUT THE STUDY

Funded by the Department of Education and Science (now the Department of Education and Skills), and conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute, this study represents the first large-scale national research conducted on school experiences regarding provision for newcomer students. It draws on a national survey of primary and second-level school principals, complementing this information with detailed case-studies of schools with varying proportions of newcomers.

The main objectives of the study are:

  • To analyse the distribution of newcomers across schools and the characteristics of schools with different proportions of newcomers;
  • To document the current mode of provision for language support, the perceived language needs of newcomer students, and the issues involved in addressing their needs;
  • To examine the perceived suitability of the existing curriculum and teaching materials for educating a diverse student population;
  • To document the social supports put in place by schools for newcomers and the perceived adequacy of such supports in fostering social integration;
  • To examine the implications of the study findings for future policy development.

DATA AND DOCUMENTATION

Adapting to Diversity Report

 

Key variable areas

Unit of analysis: School principals, primary and secondary schools

Number of cases (Primary Schools): 1,032 (3,290 when weighted with variable 'Gross')

Number of cases (Secondary Schools): 454 (733 when weighted with variable 'Popwgt')

Weighting variables (Primary Schools):

  • Sampwgt (sums to sample size);
  • Gross (sums to population)

Weighting variables (Secondary Schools):

  • Samwgt (sums to sample size);
  • Popwgt (sums to population)

Principal investigators:

  • Emer Smyth (ESRI)
  • Merike Darmody (ESRI)
  • Fran McGinnity (ESRI)
  • Delma Byrne (ESRI)

ACCESS INFORMATION

Accessing the data

To access the data, please complete a ISSDA Data Request Form for Research Purposes - Pseudonymised Datasets‌, sign it, and send it to ISSDA by email.

Data will be disseminated on receipt of a fully completed, signed form. Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned to the data requester for completion.

Please note that any reference to signature and date in this document can be read as meaning the typed name and date where such an application is forwarded electronically. 
 

Acknowledgements

Any work based in whole or part on resources provided by the ISSDA, should  acknowledge: “Adapting to Diversity: Irish schools and newcomer students" and also ISSDA, in the following way: “Accessed via the Irish Social Science Data Archive - www.ucd.ie/issda”.

Citation requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Notification

The user shall notify the Irish Social Science Data Archive of all publications where she or he has used the data.

The copyright of the data lies with DES and ESRI.

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