THE GOALS AND GOVERNANCE OF THE SOCIAL INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY ACTIVATION PROGRAMME (SICAP) 2015-2017: A MIXED METHODS STUDY. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 68 JULY 2018

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) (2015-2017) aims at reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. The three goals of the programme are; strengthening local communities, promoting lifelong learning, and helping people become more job ready. SICAP is funded and overseen by the Department of Rural and Community Development, with Pobal nominated to act as an agent of the Department with respect to national management and oversight of the programme. The Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are the contracting authorities that manage and administer SICAP at a local level and direct the funding to 45 Programme Implementers (PIs) covering 51 local areas or lots to implement the programme. This report is part of a broader research programme entitled ‘A Programme of Evaluation of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme’ aimed at informing the Department of Rural and Community Development’s overarching strategic goals and objectives in relation to SICAP and evaluating projects, actions and activities conducted as part of the programme

Governance and Funding of Voluntary Secondary Schools in Ireland. RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 34 October 2013

This study presents a comprehensive picture of educational governance and financing among second-level schools in Ireland. There are three second-level sectors in Ireland,1 which have their origins in historical developments and policy changes: voluntary secondary schools, vocational schools (including community colleges), and community/comprehensive schools (see Chapter 3). Broadly interpreted, governance refers to the ownership, organisation and management of schools. The mode of governance varies across different types of schools, with voluntary secondary schools increasingly being governed by lay School Trusts; community/comprehensive schools under the joint trusteeship of religious orders and the state while vocational schools (including community colleges) are under the trusteeship of the state. The way in which the different school types are financed and the extent to which the state supports the trusteeship function across the three second-level sectors also varies, as shown in this report

“Man Enough To Do It”? Girls and Non-Traditional Subjects in Lower Secondary Education. ESRI WP198. May 2007

This article examines the processes influencing the choice of non-traditional subjects by girls in lower secondary education in the Republic of Ireland. In particular, we focus on the traditionally ‘male’ technological subjects, namely, Materials Technology (Wood), Metalwork and Technical Graphics. Analyses are based on detailed case-studies of twelve secondary schools, placing them in the context of national patterns of subject take-up. Strong gender differentiation persists in the take-up of these technological subjects. Commonalities are evident across schools in the way in which the subjects are constructed as ‘male’. However, some students, both female and male, actively contest these labels, and school policy and practice regarding subject provision and choice can make a difference to take-up patterns. It is argued that the persistent gendering of subjects has implications for the skills acquired by students, their engagement in education, and the education, training and career opportunities open to them on leaving school

What predicts international higher education students’ satisfaction with their study in Ireland? ESRI Research Bulletin 2016/2/2

Across the OECD countries, the internationalisation of higher education has been firmly on the policy agenda. Between 2000 and 2011, the global number of international students more than doubled and in 2011 there were more than 4.5 million tertiary students enrolled outside their country of citizenship (OECD, 2013). In the Irish context, the process of internationalisation has been guided by the Government’s Strategy for International Education, Investing in Global Relationships, from 2010 to 2015. The number of international students in Ireland increased from just over 5,000 in 2000/2001 to more than 13,000 in 2012/2013, jumping to more than 18,000 in the 2014/2015 academic year. In the context of increasing numbers of internationally mobile students, relatively little is known about how satisfied international students are with their study abroad and what factors determine their satisfaction. The analysis of this topic is important in the context of the tension between the drive to recruit international students and the practicalities of meeting international students’ needs within both the classroom and the wider educational institution. The present study aimed to address this gap

Risk and protective factors in adolescent behaviour: The role of family, school and neighbourhood characteristics in (mis)behaviour among young people. ESRI Research Series 119 May 2021.

This report uses data collected on Cohort ’98 of the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study at 9, 13 and 171 years of age to examine the individual, family, peer, school and neighbourhood factors associated with adolescent behaviour patterns. The study adopts a multidimensional approach and draws on multiple informants, looking at six types of behaviour. Externalising behaviour relates to conduct (‘acting out’) and concentration difficulties. Internalising behaviour relates to negativity directed towards the self (i.e. mood or emotional difficulties) and difficulties interacting with peers, while prosocial behaviour is an indicator of positive development, reflecting positive interaction with others. All three are measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), are based on reports from the primary caregiver (usually, the mother2) and are therefore likely to capture behaviour within the family or home context. Behaviour at school is captured using information on school-based misbehaviour (such as ‘messing’ in class) and on truancy, reported by the young person themselves. Antisocial behaviour, also based on the young person’s report, reflects behaviour in the wider community (such as graffiti or damaging property). The study addresses the following research questions: 1. What patterns of (mis)behaviour are found among young people at 9, 13 and 17 years of age? To what extent do these patterns relate to differences in family resources, namely, social class, parental education and household income? 2. To what extent does adolescent behaviour reflect the social mix of the school, over and above the effects of individual family background (including parental education, income and social class)? 3. To what extent does adolescent behaviour reflect the social composition of the neighbourhood, over and above the effects of individual family background? 4. What family, peer, school and neighbourhood factors help to reduce the incidence of behaviour difficulties among young people

Profile of second-level students exempt from studying Irish. ESRI WP527. February 2016

Drawing on curriculum differentiation theory, this paper discusses exemptions from learning Irish granted to Irish post-primary students. In order to explore the profile of students granted such exemptions, the study utilises data from a national longitudinal study, Growing Up in Ireland. Additional information is provided by administrative data collected by the Department of Education and Skills to show trends in the number of exemptions granted over time. The findings show that factors impacting on being exempt include gender, social class, having a special educational need at primary school and being born outside Ireland

Acting Up or Opting Out? Truancy in Irish Secondary Schools. ESRI WP212. October 2007

This paper explores the way in which truancy levels are structured by individual social class and the social mix of the school within the Republic of Ireland. Drawing on a national survey of young people, truancy levels are found to be higher among working-class and Traveller students. Truancy is more prevalent in predominantly working-class schools, mainly because young people see them as less supportive and more disorderly environments. The empirical analyses are situated within the context of the concepts of individual and institutional habitus as well as resistance theory. Our findings suggest the institutional habitus of the school is a strong factor in influencing truancy levels among young people. While truancy operates as a form of student resistance to the school system, it serves to reproduce social class inequalities since it is associated with more negative educational and labour market outcomes in the longer term

Sotsiaalse ja kultuurilise kapitali ning koolikeskkonna mõju rändetaustaga laste akadeemilisele edukusele Iirimaal

Educational achievement is one of the key indicators of labour market success, yet previous research shows that in many countries, children from immigrant backgrounds struggle to match their native peers in terms of achievement. Despite high educational aspirations, migrant parents may struggle to "convert" their social and cultural capital to support their children’s achievement in their country of destination. Ireland is an interesting case study as there was substantial and  rapid immigration of a diverse group of migrants, many of whom were European, to a school system that was predominantly White, Catholic, Irish and English-speaking. Drawing on the extensive literature on academic achievement of immigrant children and youth, this paper explores the academic achievement of 9-year-old immigrant children in a ‘new immigration country’, just after the peak of inward migration. The results show that unlike in many ‘old’ immigrant-receiving countries, the immigrant "penalty" in achievement in Ireland is modest, with social and cultural capital playing a salient role in English reading achievement, particularly for East Europeans, for whom the gap is greatest. Understanding the patterns of linguistic integration for recent migrant children may help us understand these processes in the case of subsequent movements of children and their families in Europe

Academic Achievement among Immigrant Children in Irish Primary Schools. ESRI WP512. September 2015

Educational achievement is a key indicator of labour market success and other post-school outcomes. This success is unequally distributed across different groups of children, including those from immigrant backgrounds. The impact of parents’ and their children’s cultural capital on student grades and educational ambitions has been identified in both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. This paper addresses a gap in research on Ireland by exploring the academic achievement of 9-year-old immigrant children from different national groups using data from the child cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland study. The Irish case is interesting as there was recent substantial immigration of a nationally diverse group of migrants to a school system that was predominantly White, Catholic and Irish. The immigrant ‘penalty’ in English reading achievement varies across national groups, though overall the gap is modest. Financial strain is associated with lower reading achievement, as is attending a disadvantaged school, though these play a limited role in explaining the immigrant penalty in achievement. Social and cultural capital plays a more salient role in understanding national group differences in English reading achievement, particularly for East Europeans, for whom the gap is greatest

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for policy in relation to children and young people: a research review. ESRI Survey and Statistical Report Series 94 July 2020.

The report, published by the ESRI, and produced in partnership with Department of Children and Youth Affairs, draws on existing and emerging Irish and international research on the effects of the pandemic restrictions on children and young people. In particular, the report reviews research evidence in the areas of family and peer relationships, health and wellbeing, education (from early childhood to third-level) and post-school transitions to provide insights into the potential consequences of the current crisis from infancy to early adulthood