Navigating New Worlds: The Impact of Emergency versus Long-Term Education Settings on Language and Social Integration of Refugee Children
Authors:   , Hammoud Mohammad 
Published: October 2024

This thesis examines the determinants of refugee children's social integration, language difficulties and their connection in forced displacement settings. It examines the effect of individual, household, socioeconomic, schooling, and legal factors on refugee children by conducting a comparative longitudinal study in Lebanon, Turkey, and Australia. Therefore, we aim to answer the following research question: How do the different educational paradigms shape refugee children's integration and language experiences in Lebanon, Turkey, and Australia?

The three host countries offer refugees different legal statuses ranging from short-term in Lebanon, medium-term in Turkey, and long-term in Australia. Therefore, each country provides a unique legal and educational framework that profoundly influences refugee outcomes, making them ideal case studies for this research.

The study adopts a mixed-method approach. A longitudinal survey in three countries with students was combined with qualitative interviews with students, teachers, and parents. The dataset comprises a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews that were conducted longitudinally across three academic years: 2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021 as part of an international collaborative project “Towards an Inclusive Education for Refugees: A Comparative Longitudinal Study", funded by The Spencer Foundation.

Chapter 2 revealed that meso-level factors were the most significant determinants of refugee social integration. In other words, the degree to which refugee children felt integrated within the host community was greatly determined by school-level factors such as type of schooling (integrated vs segregated), teacher friendliness, language support, and equity in educational opportunities provided at the school level. Similarly, micro-level factors such as financial struggle, type of dwelling, parents' employment, and neighbourhood segregation were also significant determinants of refugee children's social integration levels.

Chapter 3 revealed that at the micro-level, students' educational aspirations, socioeconomic background, social integration, and years of residence in the host country were significant determinants of refugee children's language difficulties. Moreover, our analysis of meso-level factors revealed that school segregation mitigated language of instruction difficulties as it allowed for provisions that were only feasible in segregated schooling shifts. While the duration spent in the host country was more crucial than the type of settlement offered by the host country, macro-level factors indirectly impacted refugee students' language difficulties by shaping educational policies, residency, and work legislations, which were direct determinants of language difficulty at the micro and meso levels.

Chapter 4 revealed that refugees who felt more welcome in the host country faced lower language difficulties, and refugees who faced high language difficulties felt less welcome in their host country. Moreover, the type of schooling (integrated vs. segregated) was a stronger determinant of social integration and language comprehension difficulty than the country of residence. Nevertheless, our findings in this chapter were consistent with our findings in chapters 2 and 3, where the type of legal settlement and its corresponding educational, social, and economic policies retained significant influence on children's integration levels and language difficulties over time and continued to shape micro- and meso-level policies that influenced the pathways to integration and language acquisition.

Underpinning this analysis is the comparative integration theory, which emphasises the influence of institutional contexts on social integration outcomes. Furthermore, the research incorporates Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory to elaborate on how various environmental systems interact to impact a child’s development and integration process.

This thesis not only contributes to academic discourse but also provides practical insights for policymakers striving to enhance refugee education and integration strategies. By providing a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics at play in the integration experiences of refugee children and their foreign language difficulties, stakeholders can better tailor interventions to meet the diverse needs of refugee populations, ultimately fostering more inclusive and effective educational environments.