Inequalities in Educational Attainment Across Rural and Urban Locations of Northern Ireland.

• In Event: Bridging the Divides: Opportunities and Challenges for Rural Education in Diverse Contexts

Abstract

This research used the first linked educational dataset available for research in the Northern Irish context to examine the influence of urban/rural location on primary and post-primary pupils' educational attainment outcomes. Drawing on the conceptual framework of intersectionality, this study aimed to uncover where rurality fits within the complex web of factors that are already known to contribute to unequal educational outcomes, for example, gender and socioeconomic status. Following an adapted version of Hox's (2010) analytical strategy, multilevel modelling was employed to investigate this issue. This study represents the first high-quality analysis of the influence of urban/rural location on pupils' educational attainment in the context of Northern Ireland.

Author

• Gemma M. Cherry, Dublin City University