Exploring the views and perceptions of adopted young people concerning their education and social development: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

A large percentage of young people who have been adopted will have experienced early childhood trauma and neglect that can impact on their social and emotional development, and engagement with learning. Although much research has been carried out concerning adoption, the views and perspectives of adopted young people are often missing. This small-scale qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of four adopted young people, aged between 10 and 16 years, who were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. While five themes emerged from the interviews with the young people; "identity and self", "relationships", "school", "attachment" and "adoptive status", their individual accounts were distinctive and subjective, as a result of their pre- and post-adoption experiences. This study considers the implications of the findings for educational psychology practice.