Teachers need urgent support to tackle conspiracy theories in the classroom, landmark study finds.
Children in primary schools should be taught to recognise and resist online misinformation and conspiracy theories, according to a landmark study.
Researchers from the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools – the largest ever study of its kind in English schools – carried out polling and focus group conversations with young people, school staff, and parents across the country to find out how conspiracy theories are manifesting in England’s classrooms.
The findings of this study, funded by the Pears Foundation, highlight important challenges for public discourse.
Pupils are operating in an extremely low-trust environment, with 35% saying they do not trust the Government “at all”, rising to 38% of 15–18-year-olds.
The research also found that young people place more trust in online influencers than in the government. Just 29 per cent of the young people polled say they do not trust influencers at all.
Overall, trust in adults, parents and teachers declines as students’ progress through secondary school, with those who “completely trust” their teachers dropping from 27% of 11–12-year-olds to 17% of 17–18-year-olds.
The research, conducted by Public First, also found parents often engage with conspiracy theories themselves, and while there is a desire for action from both parents and teachers alike, teachers reported feeling unable to do tackle conspiracy belief in their classrooms:
“Some people really struggle with those difficult conversations around those things. I also think some teachers are worried about backlash from parents now as well… we have become more of a ‘parent-ocracy’.”
Teacher, Yorkshire and the Humber focus group
Other key findings from the report include:
- 63% parents think children are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than a decade ago.
- Our polling found that 77% of 11–12-year-olds claim to use social media, despite the age limits on most social media being 13.
- 36% of young people said they have changed their opinions or beliefs about a mainstream news story based on information they found on social media, rising to 44% for those aged 17–18-years-old.
The research found that this was not solely a ‘young person’ issue – all age groups expressed varying degrees of conspiratorial beliefs.
It also concluded that some young people appear more vulnerable than others, with a recommendation from the report calling for more research into how this content specifically impacts young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The research was carried out by Public First, on behalf of the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools, funded by the Pears Foundation. It was chaired by Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE and Sir Trevor Pears CMG.
Sir Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair of the Pears Foundation, said:
“The Pears Foundation supports organisations across the fields of education, youth, communities and mental health and we have heard from many of them about the impact that online conspiracy, misinformation and disinformation is having in our schools every day.
“The issue is too important for any one organisation to tackle so we brought together a group of expert commissioners to research the issues and present practical recommendations to support teachers who are at the frontline of these challenges.
“Our findings shocked us all. Education has changed – young people live and learn in a new world of online ideas and information and schools and teachers have been left alone to battle a tidal wave of misinformation coming into their classrooms. They urgently need better guidance, resources and training.
“We are already in conversation about delivering on the recommendations and the commission will continue to oversee this work and provide fresh research and insight.”
Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, CEO of Star Academies, said:
“This Commission was initiated to address the pressing issue of online conspiracy content and misinformation, which I know is a growing concern for educators.
“Today we launch research that sheds important new light on this troubling matter, in a way that is rooted in the lives and experiences of teachers, schools, families, and young people themselves.
“We have uncovered a problem that is significant in scale and challenge, but through greater understanding, we can begin to respond. This report is a substantial contribution to the emerging conversation on how schools can deal with harmful online content.”
Dr Sally Burtonshaw, Director at Public First, and one of the research’s authors said:
“Young people are growing up in a world where information is increasingly contested. This research has yielded fascinating, troubling and timely insights into the hitherto unknown area of the impact of conspiracy beliefs, misinformation and disinformation on young people.
“Our findings mark a critical first step in ensuring we can support teachers and schools to tackle this issue, educating and safeguarding our young people to navigate content they access online.”
What we heard
Teachers were candid with researchers about how online content is already manifesting in their classrooms:
“You might get it in an essay…a pupil has just repeated somebody like Andrew Tate’s words in an essay or in PSHE.”
Teacher, Yorkshire and the Humber focus group
Some of the parents that researchers spoke to revealed that they engaged with conspiracy theories themselves:
“I mean, I’m open to them looking at conspiracy theories and talking about it, because my husband believes 9/11 was a conspiracy… But then I would say to the kids… Let’s look at all the stuff and you can have your own opinion.”
Parent, North East focus group
And pupils told us about the impact that online content was having on their lives:
“…I don’t speak to them [friends who had got into Andrew Tate content] anymore, for obvious reasons. But they were tunnel-vision with that mindset.”
Pupil, Midlands focus group
The report has 12 key findings:
- Academic definitions of conspiracy, misinformation and disinformation are not understood in the same way by the public.
- Young people and adults exist in information siloes and, as a result, informational asymmetry is a pressing issue in this space.
- Some demographics and groups of young people are more vulnerable to conspiracy belief than others.
- Some young people with SEND may be more vulnerable to conspiracy theories, but more research is needed in this area.
- Pupils discussing conspiracy beliefs in schools are not necessarily doing so because they hold a strong or genuine belief.
- Although pupils report encountering conspiracy theories, most pupils don’t think they are a problem.
- Consuming conspiracy content influences pupil behaviour outside of direct conspiracy beliefs.
- Trust in adults is high, especially from younger teenagers.
- Despite this trust, when it comes to conspiracy belief, adulthood doesn’t equate to expertise.
- While adults are concerned about young people’s beliefs in conspiracy theories, they don’t prioritise it among other pressures on young people.
- Teachers are identified by both parents and young people as a popular vehicle for intervention; however, teachers don’t always feel confident addressing these issues.
- There should be a ‘pedagogy, not punishment’ approach to these issues in schools.
The report also includes 11 key recommendations:
- Political leadership is needed from DfE, Ofsted, multi-academy trusts and local authorities to signal to school leaders and school staff that they can and should be addressing conspiracy belief without fear of reprisal.
- Teachers must be supported to debunk conspiracies with regularly updated resources and best practice guides.
- Expert-led, research-informed and sustained continuous professional development (CPD) for school staff and leaders is critical.
- Training on addressing conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation should be embedded into training for early career and trainee teachers.
- Education on conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation should begin in primary school, where children’s trust in adults is generally still high.
- Media literacy and criticality should be embedded in the curriculum. This should be integrated across the curriculum, including in English Language, History, RS, Citizenship, Science, Computer Science and Mathematics.
- There needs to be a whole community approach to addressing conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation in schools.
- Specific training on conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation should be embedded into the qualifications for allied and ancillary staff, particularly youth workers.
- Specific training on conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation should be included in safeguarding training and processes.
- More research should be undertaken to understand how parents and families can be engaged and supported as critical stakeholders on how to address conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation at home.
- More research needs to be undertaken into how conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation presents and impacts specific groups of young people, including young people with SEND.
About Pears Foundation
Pears Foundation is an independent family foundation that invests over £20m each year in a wide range of charitable organisations and causes. The Foundation is known for its relational approach, building long-term relationships with grantees and giving unrestricted funding and support beyond grants. Pears Foundation’s work is broad ranging, spanning education, mental health, poverty alleviation, social action, civic engagement, social cohesion and the intersection between these issues. The Pears family has given more than £450m to charitable causes since the Foundation was established.
About Public First
Public First is a policy, strategy and opinion research consultancy. We combine public opinion expertise with deep knowledge of the policy landscape to deliver data-rich, coherent policy arguments that are ready to implement and politically feasible. Public First is a company partner of the Market Research Society and a member of the British Polling Council.
Methodology
The Commission employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research to investigate how conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation affect students, school staff, and parents. The methodology was structured into four distinct phases from March to November 2024.
Phase 1: Literature Review & Expert Evidence. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to establish the existing knowledge base on conspiracy theories and their impact on schools. Additionally, three expert evidence sessions (conducted online) and one-on-one interviews were held with professionals across education, youth engagement, and digital misinformation fields. Experts included academics, educational leaders, and civil society representatives.
Phase 2: Young People. Research on young people aged 11-18 in secondary or post-16 education was undertaken through:
- A nationally representative survey of 2,349 students (conducted online in May 2024)
- Eight focus groups across schools in England, conducted in person with a mix of year groups and demographics, including some single-sex groups.
Phase 3: School Staff. Research extended to teaching and non-teaching school staff, recognising that conspiracy theories emerge beyond classroom settings. This phase included:
- A nationally representative online survey of 448 school staff across secondary schools and colleges (June 2024).
- Six online focus groups comprising teachers, teaching assistants, and other school staff, ensuring diversity in gender, geography, and role types.
Phase 4: Parents. Parental perspectives were explored through:
- A nationally representative online survey of 2,009 parents with children aged 11-18 in full-time education (July 2024).
- Six online focus groups, ensuring a socioeconomically and geographically diverse participant pool.
A full methodology is included in the report.
Polling tables can be found here for pupils, parents and school staff.
Notes to editors
A full version of the report can be found here: www.counteringconspiracies.co.uk
For any media enquiries, please contact Ed Dorrell on 07779 782583 ed.dorrell@publicfirst.co.uk or George Ryan george.ryan@publicfirst.co.uk.
