Educational Inequalities Among School Leavers in Ireland 1979-1994

The extent to which inequalities in educational outcomes persist in modern Ireland has been the subject of much debate. This paper investigates whether the rapid expansion in educational participation rates over the 1980s and early 1990s has led to a reduction in social class and gender inequalities. Using data from the annual surveys of school leavers conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute, analyses highlight marked changes in female educational participation, particularly in the third-level sector, but a remarkable persistence in class inequalities in educational attainment. Contrary to findings based on other sources (Clancy, 1995), no reduction in socio-economic inequalities is apparent in access to third-level education.

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

Improving Second-level Education: Using Evidence for Policy Development

Second-level education has a crucial role to play in Ireland's long-term economic prosperity, as well as being intrinsically valuable, allowing young people to develop intellectually, socially and personally. Much of the debate internationally has focused on how countries compare against international benchmarks and indicators like PISA. This paper argues that, while we can potentially learn from what other systems have 'got right', it is important that we do not fall into the trap of engaging in 'policy borrowing'. Furthermore we now have a rich evidence base in Ireland on 'what works' in terms of school organisation and process. The paper reviews this evidence in a number of key areas: ability grouping, school climate, teaching and learning methods, and curriculum and assessment. The discussion reviews how these aspects of school policy and practice can make a substantive impact on student outcomes and act as 'drivers' of improvement, often requiring relatively modest levels of expenditure.education/Policy/policy development/Ireland

Working at a different level? Curriculum differentiation in Irish lower secondary education. ESRI WP568, July 2017

Young people in Irish schools are required to choose whether to sit lower and upper secondary exam subjects at higher or ordinary level. This paper draws on a mixed methods longitudinal study of students in twelve case-study schools to trace the school and student factors influencing take-up of higher level subjects within lower secondary education. School organisation and process are found to shape the extent to which young people actually have a ‘choice’ or whether this is circumscribed by the school they attend or the class group to which they are allocated. Streaming practices, which are more prevalent in schools serving socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, constrain the degree of choice young people have over their subject levels, with those in lower stream classes usually allocated to ordinary level. Even where schools have mixed ability base classes, schools influence access to higher level subjects. In the middle-class and socially mixed schools, teachers are more likely to expect and encourage all students to take higher level, at least for as long as possible. In contrast, in working-class schools, there are sharp declines in the proportion taking higher level subjects as they approach the national exam taken at the end of lower secondary education. Early decisions about not pursuing higher level are found to have long-term consequences by closing off particular pathways for the future. These early decisions are often made in the absence of formal school-based guidance, thus contributing to social inequalities in young people’s destinations. The findings contribute to our understanding of how curriculum differentiation reinforces social class differences in educational pathways

Growing Up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study of Children. Report 5 2017

The transition to second-level education has been identified as a major landmark in young people’s lives, with moving to a new school involving exposure to new teachers and ways of learning, as well as a new peer group. This report draws on Growing Up in Ireland data collected at 13 years of age to explore the factors shaping young people’s experiences of the transition period. It adopts a multidimensional approach, examining the extent of transition difficulties (as reported by parents) and changes in academic self-image – that is, confidence as a learner, from the point of view of young people themselves. Teenagers’ engagement in school is examined in terms of their attitudes to school and to school subjects as well as their attendance levels. Specifically, the report addresses three main research questions: 1. To what extent are young people’s social relationships – with their parents, peers and teachers – associated with their adjustment to second-level education? 2. Is young people’s engagement with school at age 13 related to their earlier experiences at primary level? 3. To what extent are the ease of transition and consequent engagement with school associated with experiences of second-level education

JUNIOR CYCLE EDUCATION: INSIGHTS FROM A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF STUDENTS. ESRI Research Bulletin 2009/4/1

There is considerable debate at the moment about the nature of junior cycle education in Ireland. Much information relevant to this debate has been obtained from a study which tracked the progress of students through second-level education. This on-going longitudinal study yields many significant insights into the processes shaping student experiences of the educational system. A cohort of 900 students in 12 case-study schools has been surveyed and interviewed since their entry to first year. The schools included in the study were selected to capture key dimensions of variation in school organisation, namely, the approach to subject choice, the approach to ability grouping, and the kinds of personal and social support structures put in place for students. This study, the first of its kind in Ireland, provides significant insights into the processes shaping student experiences and outcomes. Three books** have been published to date presenting findings on junior cycle experiences

The Transition to Primary Education. Insights from the Growing Up in Ireland Study. May 2018

There has been considerable change in the early years policy landscape in recent years, with the expansion of funded preschool provision, the introduction of Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, work on facilitating the transition from preschool to primary school and the ongoing revision of the primary curriculum. It is therefore timely to look at children’s experiences adjusting to primary education and the dispositions and skills they bring with them to the school setting. The Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study provides new information on this crucial transition phase, placing experiences and outcomes in the context of child and family factors from the first year of life. The report draws on information on over 9,000 five-year-old children and their families, as well as on the perspectives of their classroom teachers and school principals. The study, funded by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), addresses the following key questions: • What factors influence age at starting school? How do parents go about helping prepare their children for starting school? • What kinds of learning experiences are offered to children in the early years of primary education? Does this differ across schools and classrooms? • How do children settle into primary school? Do some groups of children experience greater difficulties adjusting to the new setting? • What cognitive and non-cognitive skills and capacities do children have at this key transition phase? This executive summary presents an overview of the main findings and outlines their implications for policy development

Shaping educational expectations among 13-year-olds and their parents. ESRI Research Bulletin 202012 June 2020.

13-year-olds hold lower expectations than their parents about their educational career, according to new ESRI research based on Growing Up in Ireland data

Female participation increases and gender segregation. ESRI WP564, May 2017

This article examines the impact of a large increase in female participation on occupational segregation. Increases in female participation may decrease occupational segregation if women enter male dominated sectors but may increase segregation if they enter already female dominated sectors. Using Ireland as a test case due to the recent large increase in female participation rates, we firstly carry out a decomposition analysis between 1991 and 2006 and find that the rise in female employment was driven predominantly by increased demand while between one tenth and one fifth of the rise was due to women increasing their share of occupational employment. Formal measures of segregation show that occupational segregation fell over this time period. The formal measures of segregation show that the level of occupational grouping is important with stagnation or smaller falls in segregation using a broad occupational grouping and sharper falls using a more detailed occupational grouping. Our findings support previous U.S. research that found a rise in female participation resulted in a decline in occupational segregation

Arts and cultural participation among 17-year-olds. ESRI Research Series 103 November 2020.

New research, conducted by the ESRI and funded by the Arts Council, shows that young people become less involved in cultural activities as they prepare for the Leaving Certificate and leave school. Using data from the Growing Up in Ireland study, the report charts a decline in reading for pleasure and taking music/drama/dance lessons between 13 and 17 years of age