The early impact of the revised Leaving Certificate grading scheme on student perceptions and behaviour

Abstract

The mission of the Economic and Social Research Institute is to advance evidencebased policymaking that supports economic sustainability and social progress in Ireland. ESRI researchers apply the highest standards of academic excellence to challenges facing policymakers, focusing on 12 areas of critical importance to 21 st Century Ireland.The Institute was founded in 1960 by a group of senior civil servants led by Dr T.K. Whitaker, who identified the need for independent and in-depth research analysis to provide a robust evidence base for policymaking in Ireland.Since then, the Institute has remained committed to independent research and its work is free of any expressed ideology or political position. The Institute publishes all research reaching the appropriate academic standard, irrespective of its findings or who funds the research.The quality of its research output is guaranteed by a rigorous peer review process. ESRI researchers are experts in their fields and are committed to producing work that meets the highest academic standards and practices.The work of the Institute is disseminated widely in books, journal articles and reports. ESRI publications are available to download, free of charge, from its website. Additionally, ESRI staff communicate research findings at regular conferences and seminars.The ESRI is a company limited by guarantee, answerable to its members and governed by a Council, comprising 14 members who represent a cross-section of ESRI members from academia, civil services, state agencies, businesses and civil society. The Institute receives an annual grant-in-aid from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to support the scientific and public interest elements of the Institute's activities; the grant accounted for an average of 30 per cent of the Institute's income over the lifetime of the last Research Strategy. The remaining funding comes from research programmes supported by government departments and agencies, public bodies and competitive research programmes.

Student, teacher and parent perspectives on senior cycle education

“…The majority of the case-study schools pointed to the issue of discontinuity between (the revised) junior cycle and senior cycle. In keeping with recent research (McCoy et al, 2019), teachers expressed concern about the gap in course material between junior and senior cycle, with subjects at senior cycle having more complex material and requiring longer essaystyle answers. This was seen as especially evident in relation to higher-level papers at senior cycle, with challenges identified in terms of student progression from common papers at junior cycle.…”

“…Many students, especially more middle-class students aiming for highpoints courses, become highly instrumental in their final year of second-level education, seeing good teaching as 'teaching to the test' and using private tuition (grinds) as a way of preparing for the exams . A more recent study (McCoy et al, 2019) on changes in Leaving Certificate grading echoes many of these themes, suggesting, if anything, a growing instrumentalism in exam preparation, with a greater prominence of the marking scheme in student discussions of preparing for the exams. The role of marking schemes in knowing what is needed for a 'good response' and in assessing what different questions are 'worth' was also evident in student interviews conducted by Baird et al (2014).…”

Understanding gender differences in STEM: Evidence from college applications✰

“…This is the scheme used from 2017 onwards. Prior to 2017, the grade intervals were somewhat different and so was the mapping from grades to points(McCoy et al, 2019). We convert all grades into 2017 points and use 2017 points in the analysis.…”

Examining the experiences of students, teachers and leaders at Educate Together second-level schools

“…As noted by McCoy et al (2019b), this research should be viewed in the context of increasing government concern with academic standards. Official educational policy discourse has increasingly been concerned with the relative international position of Ireland and the need to raise achievement in PIRLS, TIMSS and PIAAC.…”