The lived experiences of young British female Muslims in a secondary school: Exploring faith membership, religious practices and identities

While existing literature acknowledges the importance of religious and cultural identity in adolescence, there remains a gap in understanding how these processes unfold for Muslim students in mainstream secondary schools in the UK. This research explores the lived experiences of five young British female Muslims in Years 8 to 10 (ages 12-15) attending an all-girls mainstream secular secondary school, with a particular focus on their experiences of faith membership, religious practice, and identity development. To address this, the study employed semi-structured interviews and adopted an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. All participants identified as Muslim females and were part of the same school community, offering insight into how religious identity is navigated within a secular educational environment.

Following the Larkin et al. (2021) model, the IPA methodology is grounded in a phenomenological epistemology and ontology, centring the participants’ subjective experiences. The analysis generated five Group Experiential Themes (GETs). The first, A General Shift in Muslim Family Dynamics, explores evolving generational perspectives on faith and identity. The second, Community Bonds, highlights the significance of peer and local networks in shaping religious belonging. The third, Relational Belonging and Identity Integration, examines how students reconcile their Muslim identity with broader school and societal expectations. The fourth, Individuality in a Conformist World, reflects the tension between personal expression and perceived cultural or institutional norms. Finally, Balancing Freedom and Responsibility captures the participants’ negotiation of autonomy within religious and familial frameworks.

This study explores how young British female Muslims navigate faith, belonging, and identity within secular school contexts. By amplifying their voices, it reveals faith as a source of resilience and underscores the need for inclusive educational environments that support intentional identity development and affirm complex, culturally rooted identities.