“I want my research to give refugee students a voice”

Published on 19, January, 2026

A teacher who recently graduated from the University of Sunderland is making it her mission to improve education for refugee students.

Kini Teesdale completed a PGCE Early Years Teaching (DL) and more recently an MA in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion (DL) through the University as an independent distance learner while working in both Turkey and Kuwait as an Early Years teacher.

As part of her MA thesis, Kini carried out research into the resilience and motivation of Syrian refugee students during the 2024 Lebanese conflict, exploring how young people continue to pursue education in the face of significant adversity, offering valuable insights into the role of hope, determination, and support in conflict-affected contexts.

Many Syrians fled to Lebanon to escape the devastating civil war, violence, and persecution in Syria, seeking safety and basic necessities in the neighbouring country.

Kini was supported in her research by Alsama Project, a UK-registered Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) charity, dedicated to transforming refugee education in Lebanon.

Through the organisation, Kini was able to spend time at one of the Alsama Education Centres in Lebanon where she learned about their educational system and have some of the students there take part in her research.

Kini’s year-long study revealed that educational spaces can act as place of healing and can foster resilience and motivation in students, acting as protective spaces, particularly through cultivating a strong and caring community which was central to the students’ stories of how they overcame later challenges.

Kini, 29, said: “No refugee student should be considered a lost cause due to age, years out of education or lack of formal schooling.

“My study found that students' personal and academic trajectories can be transformed during their teenage years. It also illustrates how supportive and caring educational environments that deliver high quality learning increase the value that students place on education and act as a protective factor in aiding them to maintain it during challenging times.”

Now, Kini, who recently graduated from the University with a Distinction (First Class) in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion (DL) MA, is hoping her findings will go on to be published, help address a significant gap in conflict research and that both her research and future practice will inform policy and practice in refugee education.

“I want my research to give refugee students a voice, because they’re often left out or treated as less important in studies,” Kini said.

“There’s a big gap in research that really focuses on their experiences and lets them play an active role, especially in Lebanon in 2024/25. I also hope education providers can use what I’ve found to create systems that boost motivation and resilience, so students can keep learning even when life gets tough.

“My recommendations come straight from refugee students themselves, based on what helped them succeed – something that’s often missing in policies and research.”

Kini, who is from London, is also co-founder of a Non-Profit – or CMA (Crisis Management Association) – in Greece, which was created in 2020 to provide medical care for refugees living inside refugee camps on the Greek Islands.

Kini will carry on teaching with the aim of one day becoming a SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator/Disabilities Coordinator) or school counsellor role while continuing her humanitarian work.

“My dream is to one day combine the two and open up an education project in for refugee youth with special educational needs and disabilities,” Kini explained.

On what inspired her to study the University’s MA in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion (DL), Kini said: “Throughout my teaching career I’ve noticed that students’ needs are becoming more complex and many children need more specialised support. I felt strongly about finding a way to try and support and understand my students better, so I chose this particular course.

“I’m also neurodivergent and have learning disabilities and found many areas of my own schooling to be very difficult so my personal experiences were a motivating factor too.”

Charlotte Feather, Senior Lecturer in Professional Development and International Education, who leads the MA and supervised Kini’s research project, said: “Kini’s research highlights the possibilities of distance learning for students balancing postgraduate study with demanding professional commitments. Undertaking a complex and ethically sensitive piece of research alongside full-time work required exceptional resilience, criticality, and care, all of which Kini demonstrated throughout her studies.

“It has been both a joy and a privilege to support Kini during this journey, and I very much look forward to seeing the impact she will continue to make through her future work in education and humanitarian settings.”

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For more information on studying the Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion (DL) MA at the University of Sunderland, click here.