Education

School Organisation and Process
School organisation and process continued to be a key focus of the ESRI’s educational research during 2010. The Post-Primary Longitudinal Study (PPLS), funded by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and the Department of Education and Skills (DES), continued throughout 2010. This study is the first of its kind in Ireland and explores student experiences as they move through the schooling system. During 2010, a study of young people from this cohort who had dropped out of school before the Leaving Certificate was published (No Way Back?). The study provided new insights into the processes shaping early school leaving, revealing the complex interplay of school, family and individual characteristics. Work also continued on analysing the experiences of senior cycle students, exploring issues around the transition to senior cycle and preparation for the Leaving Certificate exam.

The first systematic study of students taking the Leaving Certificate Applied programme, a programme introduced as an alternative to the established Leaving Certificate, was published as Engaging Young People? The report, commissioned by the NCCA, examined the characteristics of young people who participated in the LCA programme approximately one decade after its introduction and investigated their reasons for entering the programme, their learning experiences during LCA, and their subsequent employment and educational pathways, and represents an important evidence base for policy development.

Educational research in the ESRI focuses not only on school processes within second-level education but also increasingly explores primary school experiences. 2010 saw the publication of Designing Primary Schools for the Future, commissioned by the Department of Education and Skills. The study drew on interviews with education stakeholders, principals, teachers and pupils as well as a review of international research to assess how primary school buildings can be used to enhance the learning process. In the context of a predicted growth in the primary school-going population, this study has important implications for policy development.

2010 saw the completion of another study on the primary school sector, the large-scale European FP7 -funded project, Religious Education in a Multicultural Society (REMC). The study explored the communication of religious and secular beliefs and values through the education system and the family and was part of a collaborative project involving University College Dublin as well as institutions in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Malta, Scotland and Italy.

Post-school Transitions
Research on young people’s post-school transitions forms an important part of the research on education at the ESRI, stemming from the School Leavers’ Surveys initiated in 1980. This year saw the development of a new research model with the Leaving School in Ireland study. This study draws on funding in the form of grants from ten key educational organisations, with representatives forming a Steering Group guiding the design and development of the study. The study examines the post-school outcomes of young people who left school in 2007 and 2008, assessing the factors influencing their decision-making, their skills and competencies and their post-school pathways. The research adopts a mixed-method approach combining a survey of school leavers with in-depth interviews with a smaller sample to provide a more in-depth understanding of their experiences and outcomes. The survey phase went into the field in December 2010.

Research on Higher Education became a central focus of the ESRI’s educational research in 2010, with the publication of three major studies, all funded by the Higher Education Authority. The first was a large-scale mixed-method study examining the experiences of young people from non-manual backgrounds in accessing Higher Education. The study, which was published as Hidden Disadvantage? A Study of the Low Participation in Higher Education by the Non Manual Group, highlighted the role of school experiences in shaping Higher Education entry for these young people, alongside issues around information and advice and financial constraints.

The second, published as Study on the Costs of Participation in Higher Education, also contributes to the increasing body of research and debate concerning widening Higher Education participation. As well as considering the overall costs of attending college for students, the study placed a particular focus on the experiences of diverse groups with low rates of participation in Higher Education, including students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, mature students, students with children and students with a disability.

Finally, focusing attention to how students fare once they have entered Higher Education, research examined the factors influencing student progression and retention. Non-Progression among Higher Education New Entrants: A Multivariate Analysis examined the individual level factors shaping student success in Higher Education. In examining institutional variation in student retention, the study also demonstrated the importance of taking account of differences in the composition of student intakes in assessing the effectiveness of institutions.  

Research on post-school outcomes was published in a range of international journals, including Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Higher Education and Irish Educational Studies (forthcoming).