External Publications Using GUI Data

Authors	Year	Title	Link	Journal/Book
Coughlan, S., Quigley, J., Nixon, E.	2023	Preterm birth and expressive language development across the first 5 years of life: A nationally-representative longitudinal path analysis	Open	Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Multiple factors including the child’s non-linguistic characteristics and caregiving environment can affect language development. Since preterm birth (<37 weeks’ gestation) can negatively affect language development, this study used path analysis to investigate whether the influence of preterm birth on expressive language development at 3 and 5 years of age is mediated by a child’s non-linguistic characteristics (temperament and cognitive, motor, and social-personal abilities), caregiving environment (maternal and paternal stress and depression, mother-child and father-child relationship quality), and interactions between these domains. These analyses were conducted using three waves of data (ages: 9 months, 3 years, 5 years) on 8,712 children (4,300 female; 535 preterm) from a nationally-representative longitudinal study in Ireland. Preterm birth was indirectly (but not directly) associated with expressive language at 3 years of age via cognitive and social-personal abilities (but not motor abilities, mother-child relationship quality, or father-child relationship quality) at 9 months. There was no direct or indirect effect of preterm birth on expressive language at 5 years of age. Preterm birth negatively affected mother-child and father-child relationship quality at 3 years via fussy-difficult temperament and mother’s/father’s stress (but not depression) at 9 months. These findings are discussed with reference to international standards for neonatal care, including the need for long-term developmental monitoring of children born preterm by multidisciplinary healthcare teams, alongside parental supports promoting mental health and confidence in caregiving tasks. Future study recommendations are made to expand the tested models in line with family systems perspectives.
Nolan, A., Smyth, E.	2020	Clusters of health behaviours among young adults in Ireland	Open	ESRI Research Series 101
New ESRI research, funded by HSE Health and Wellbeing, examines how 4 key risk factors for disease (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet) cluster together among young adults. Using data from the Growing up in Ireland ’98 Cohort at 17 years of age, the research identified 3 distinct health behaviour clusters among young adults in Ireland: a ‘healthy’ group, an ‘unhealthy group’ and an ‘unhealthy smokers and drinkers group’.
Smyth, E.	2020	Arts and cultural participation among 17-year-olds	Open	ESRI Research Series 103
New research, conducted by the ESRI and funded by the Arts Council, shows that young people become less involved in cultural activities as they prepare for the Leaving Certificate and leave school. Using data from the Growing Up in Ireland study, the report charts a decline in reading for pleasure and taking music/drama/dance lessons between 13 and 17 years of age.
Williams, J., Nixon, E., Smyth, E., Watson, D.	2016	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Smyth, E.	2016	Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Quigley, J., Nixon, E.	2016	Parental Investment & Child Development	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Watson, D., Maître, B., Whelan, C.T., Williams, J.	2016	Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Fahey, T., Curran, M.	2016	Children and Families, Then & Now	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Darmody, M., McGinnity, F., Kingston, G.	2016	The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Greene, S.	2016	Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Layte, R., McCrory, C.	2016	Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Nixon, E., Swords, L.	2016	Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives?	Open	Cherishing All the Children Equally? Children in Ireland 100 Years on from the Easter Rising
None of the many critical moments in Ireland’s often tumultuous history was more significant or defining than the Easter Rising of 1916. Central to the Rising was the Proclamation of Independence, in which Pádraig Pearse declared the new nation’s resolve to cherish all its children equally. CHERISHING ALL THE CHILDREN EQUALLY? brings together contributions from a range of disciplines to shed light on the processes of child development and to investigate how that development is influenced by a variety of demographic, family and socio-economic factors. Making extensive use of research and data that have emerged over recent years from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study of children, the book considers whether or not all children can participate fully and equitably in contemporary Irish society. It asks whether or not we do, in fact, cherish all our children equally in modern Ireland, regardless of their family circumstances, health or ethnic background. TABLES OF CONTENTS: Introduction Changing Perceptions and Experiences of Childhood, 1916-2016 Children and Families, Then & Now Is Family Structure a Source of Inequality in Children’s Lives? Parental Investment & Child Development Inequalities in Access to Early Care and Education in Ireland Inequalities from the Start? Children’s Integration into Primary School Insights into the Prevalence of Special Educational Needs The Experiences of Migrant Children in Ireland Social Variation in Child Health & Development: A Life-course Approach Child Access to GP Services in Ireland: Do User Fees Matter? Anti-Social Behaviour at Age 13 Child Economic Vulnerability Dynamics in the Recession Concluding Observations
Quail, A., Murray, A., Williams, J.	2011	Support from grandparents to families with infants.	Open	ESRI Research Bulletin No. 2011/01/04.
Parent-child interactions are influenced by factors outside the immediate family. A recent paper † based on data from the Growing Up in Ireland study (GUI) focuses in particular on the support provided by grandparents in caring for very young children. Such support can have important direct and indirect influences on child development. For example, a grandparent who babysits a young child while parents have a night out has a direct interaction with the child in the context of providing care. However, there is also an indirect influence in the context of supporting the mother-father relationship which, in turn, could be expected to affect (positively) parental interactions with the child. The transition to parenthood and early infancy have been identified in the literature as the critical periods requiring most support. Infancy is a particularly intensive parenting period. Children at this stage remain highly dependent on caregivers for their basic needs but, by 9 months (the age of infants at the time of data collection in the GUI study), they are also starting to become more mobile and interaction-seeking. In the Irish context, 9 months may also be the stage when mothers may be contemplating a return to work or education following maternity leave (paid and unpaid) – and those who have been breastfeeding will likely have finished at least exclusive breastfeeding. Here we report some key results from the paper; further detail, and a full set of references to the literature can be found in the paper itself.
Murray, A.	2012	The relationship of parenting style to academic achievement in middle childhood	Open	The Irish Journal of Psychology
Parenting style has been highlighted as an important factor in child and adolescent outcomes for a range of indicators including health and educational achievement. The fostering of a positive self-concept and closer parental monitoring of school involvement are two of the suggested mechanisms by which parenting style may affect educational achievement. In recent years, much research has tended to focus on adolescents and there is considerably less information for middle childhood. This paper looks at the role of maternal parenting style (based on child-reports) on academic achievement for a large sample of 9-year-old children who took part in the Growing Up in Ireland study. It shows that an authoritative parenting style was associated with higher scores on measures of reading and maths relative to neglectful or uninvolved styles, however the expected advantage over an authoritarian parenting style did not emerge (and tended to reverse post-adjustment for mediators), and other socio-demographic characteristics such as maternal education were stronger predictors. Adjustments for possible mediating variables had a complex effect on the earlier models and suggest that authoritative parenting may have an indirect effect through both parental monitoring and the promotion of positive self-concept, especially the latter. Keywords parenting style, academic achievement, middle childhood, self-concept
McCoy, S., Byrne, D., O’Connor, P.	2022	Gender stereotyping in mothers’ and teachers’ perceptions of boys’ and girls’ mathematics performance in Ireland	Open	Oxford Review of Education
Parents’ and teachers’ beliefs and evaluations of young people are important. Using a feminist institutionalist perspective, and drawing on rich data from one in seven nine-year-old children in Ireland, this paper examines mothers’ (who make up the overwhelming majority of primary care-givers) and teachers’ perceptions of boys’ and girls’ mathematics performance. The evidence shows that girls’ mathematics performance is underestimated by both relative to boys’. Mother’s gender bias was evident among high performing children, at all levels of children’s academic self-concept, and among mothers with at least third level education. While the judgements reflect children’s actual performance and engagement, a notable gender gap remains. It is suggested that the results reflect gender stereotypes: overestimating boys’ and underestimating girls’ mathematics achievements. The article indicates the importance of the informal dimension of institutions and the part played by women in the effective devaluation of girls by endorsing gendered stereotypes. Women teachers are less likely to rate children highly in mathematics, taking account of performance: arguably reflecting their own lack of confidence in mathematics assessment. The findings raise concerns for girls’ futures since mathematics is seen as an indicator of intelligence. Given the move towards teacher-assessed grading during COVID-19, understanding, and challenging, gender-stereotyping is pressing.
Coughlan, B., Doherty, E., O'Neill, C., McGuire, B.E.	2014	Minority Status, Social Welfare Status and their Association with Child Participation in Sporting, Cultural and Community Activities	Open	Economic and Social Review
Participation in sporting, cultural and community activities can have significant emotional, physical and social benefits for children. A small literature now exists exploring the factors that promote or inhibit children’s participation in these activities. This paper adds to the literature using a large child-based dataset collected in Ireland, the Growing Up in Ireland dataset. The paper investigates the role of minority status as a barrier to child participation in a range of activities. Minority status in this paper is characterised as being non-Irish born, non-Roman Catholic, or having a family member in receipt of some form of social welfare. The association between such characteristics and child participation in sporting, cultural and community activities is examined using multivariate analyses. The results highlight that these factors are associated with lower participation in structured activities though the impact varies according to activity and minority grouping. The implications of the findings for policy are discussed.
Brady, A.M., Hennessy, E., Polek, E.	2015	Teenage parenthood and child externalising and internalising problems: evidence from the 'Growing Up in Ireland' study	Open	The Irish Journal of Psychology
Previous research has suggested that the children of teenage parents are at a high risk of developing both internalising and externalising behaviour disorders. The current study aimed to explore pathways through which children of teenage mothers show more externalising and internalising psychopathology than their peers whose parents were older. The present study used data from the first wave of the ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ 9-year-old cohort and employed structural equation modelling to assess the explanatory value of a model informed by previous research findings. Goodness-of-fit indices indicated that many aspects of the familial environment of Irish teenage families did indeed place children at a substantial risk of problematic developmental outcomes. In particular, the results implicated the influential power of economic stability and familial conflict on the well-being of teenage families and related child outcomes, results similar to those reported in international studies. Keywords: teenage mothers in Ireland, economic stability, externalising problems, internalising problems
Hadfield, K., Nixon, E.	2013	Including those that exclude themselves: Comparisons of self-identifying and non-self-identifying stepfamilies.	Open	Journal of Family Studies.
Previous research has tended to classify stepfamilies based on self-report of their familial relationships. However, some stepfamily members do not identify as being part of a stepfamily, leading to the exclusion of certain stepfamilies from stepfamily research. Using data from the first national cohort study of children in Ireland, the aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of self-identifying stepfamilies with those of non-self-identifying stepfamilies, a group about which little is known. The analysis revealed that in approximately 10% of stepfamilies, neither parent declared their stepfamily status (n = 34, N = 288 stepfamilies). No differences emerged between self-identifying and non-self-identifying stepfamilies in the quality of the parent–child or spousal relationships. Non-self-identifying stepfamilies were less likely to be complex, and were more likely to be stepmother and simple stepfamilies than self-identifying stepfamilies. These findings suggest that non-self-identifying stepfamilies constitute a significant minority of stepfamilies who may exhibit unique structural characteristics. Keywords: stepfamily; family relationships; identity; stepchildren; stepparents; membership status
Healy, C., Coughlan, H., Clarke, M., Kelleher, I., Cannon, M.	2020	What mediates the longitudinal relationship between psychotic experiences and psychopathology?	Open	Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Psychotic experiences (PEs) are common in early adolescence and are associated with nonpsychotic psychopathology. However, not all adolescents with PEs have subsequent psychopathology, and vice versa. To date, factors mediating the relationship between PEs and psychopathology have been understudied. The aims of this study were to investigate the bidirectional relationship between PEs and psychopathology in adolescence and to investigate potentially malleable mediators of these relationships. Data from 2 waves (age 13 and 17 years) of Cohort ’98 of the Growing Up in Ireland study were examined (n = 6,206). Using KHB pathway decomposition, we investigated the following as potential mediators of the relationship between psychopathology and PEs: parent-child relationship (conflict and positive), self-concept, and child-peer relationship (alienation and trust). Supplementary counterfactual mediation and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Early adolescents with psychopathology had twofold increased odds of late adolescent PEs (internalizing problems: odds ratio [OR] = 2.03, 95% confidence interval [CI; 1.56, 2.62]; externalizing problems: OR = 1.99, CI [1.51, 2.60]). Parent-child conflict explained between 23% and 34% of the associations between internalizing and externalizing problems and subsequent PEs. Early adolescents with PEs had increased odds of late adolescent psychopathology (internalizing problems: OR = 2.01, CI [1.61, 2.50]; externalizing problems: OR = 1.70, CI [1.25, 2.31]). Self-concept alone accounted for 52% of the relationship between PEs and subsequent internalizing problems. There is a bidirectional heterotypic relationship between psychopathology and PEs. Parent-child conflict and self-concept are important characteristics that mediate a proportion of the relationship between PEs and psychopathology. Interventions targeting parent-child conflict in the context of psychopathology and self-concept in the context of PEs may assist in reducing the incidence of poorer outcomes.
Carroll, E., McCoy, S., Mihut, G.	2022	Exploring cumulative disadvantage in early school leaving and planned post-school pathways among those identified with special educational needs in Irish primary schools	Open	British Educational Research Journal
Reflecting the neglect of childhood disability in social stratification research, there is a notable dearth of research on the mechanisms underpinning disability differentials in educational outcomes. Drawing on rich longitudinal data collected at 9, 13 and 17 years as part of Ireland’s ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ study, we look at the impact of special educational needs (SEN) identification in primary school on upper secondary outcomes. A bioecological framework and the Process–Person–Context–Time model allow us to understand how interactions with family, teachers, friends and school—as proximal processes—relate to early school leaving and post-school planned pathways after accounting for personal and context characteristics. Overall, young people identified at age 9 as having SEN are at increased risk of early school leaving and are more likely to plan to attend further education and training, rather than higher education. However, after accounting for proximal processes and personal and context variables, students identified at age 9 as having SEN are no longer distinct in terms of secondary attainment and post-school planning. Instead, these young people are more likely to experience forms of vulnerability that are important in shaping these outcomes. These key educational outcomes are strongly shaped by family and school-related factors—both proximal processes and context characteristics—suggesting that efforts to support retention and pathway planning should be underpinned by an ecological understanding of young people’s trajectories and the cumulative disadvantages they face. Key insights What is the main issue that the paper addresses? Using a bioecological framework and Growing Up in Ireland data, this paper explores early school leaving and post-school plans among young adults identified in primary school as having special educational needs (SEN). This is a key topic, as young people with SEN are at greater risk of early school leaving and less likely to attend higher education. What are the main insights that the paper provides? As a group, young people identified in primary school as having SEN are more likely to experience economic vulnerability and to attend schools with a socioeconomically vulnerable profile. After accounting for these and other key personal and contextual characteristics, childhood SEN status is no longer a significant factor in early school leaving or post-school plans.

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