Shifts in denominational differences in student attitude toward Christianity in Northern Ireland 1979–2011

John Greer first introduced the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity in 1979 into his programme of research designed to chart the religious trajectory of students attending Protestant and Catholic schools in Northern Ireland. The present study conducted in 2011 builds on earlier studies conducted in 1979, 1984, the early 1990s, and 1998. While in the early studies both male and female students in Catholic schools recorded a more positive attitude toward Christianity compared with students in Protestant schools, the 1998 study drew attention to a marked decline in attitude toward Christianity among female students in Catholic schools. The new data from 2011 found that this decline in attitude toward Christianity among female students in Catholic schools also extended to male students in Catholic schools.