Refugees' gendered experiences of education in Europe since 2015: A scoping review

Abstract

This scoping review aims to explore the role of gender in refugees' educational access, experiences, and outcomes in Europe since 2015. Gender can act as a significant barrier to education, and gender stereotypes and bias can affect learning opportunities and outcomes. As a response, a scoping review was conducted to explore the role of gender in refugees' educational access, experiences, and outcomes in Europe since 2015. This review follows a systematic process of reviewing and synthesising texts compiled in the Hub for Education for Refugees in Europe (HERE) Knowledge Base to fill the gaps in knowledge about gender-related post-migration experiences of refugees and displaced individuals who have arrived in Europe. The review includes studies that focus on educational services for refugees in Europe and uses a meta-ethnographic synthesis approach to data analysis and synthesis. Using a socio-ecological framework, it was found that at the individual level, access and progression were shaped by previous educational attainment, health issues, survival tactics and future aspirations; at the micro-level, by relationships with family, educators and peers; at the meso-level, by public perceptions of refugee learners and home-school interactions; and at the macro-level, by administrative barriers, the asylum system, socio-economic factors and the tailored opportunities and community support available. The majority of the studies referred to the experiences of women and girls.