Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal Volume 3 Issue 2 ARTS-BASED APPROACHES TO STUDYING TRAVELLER CHILDREN’S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES Damian Knipe St. Mary’s University College Belfast
[email protected] Geraldine Magennis St. Mary’s University College Belfast
[email protected] Damian Knipe is a Research Officer at St Mary’s University College Belfast and is involved in the development of the institution’s research culture through the work of the Research Office. He conducts research in the area of research methodology and the analysis of data. Geraldine Magennis is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Literacy at St Mary’s University College Belfast. She conducts research in the area of children’s literacy. She is a member of the College’s Research Committee as well as other national research- orientated organisations such as the Standing Conference on Teacher Education: North and South (SCoTENS), the Teacher Education Group (TEG) and the British Education Research Association (BERA). Abstract: In this article, we present ideas on how arts-based methods can be applied to conducting research with a minority ethnic group (i.e., Traveller children) and offer ways to analyse data. We refer to the culture of Traveller children, report statistics on their educational performance and refer to recent research in Northern Ireland on their disengagement from compulsory post-primary (11-16 years old) education. We look through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and consider a re-think of the approach typically used in research to tap into Traveller children’s educational experiences.