From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

Leaving Certificate Exam Performance 115
Leaving Certificate level (with correlations of -0.23 to -0.38). Once
again, the relationship between misbehaviour in second year and grades
is almost as strong as that between misbehaviour in sixth year and
grades. In sixth year, students were asked to compare their experiences
with teachers in fifth year; those who report that their teachers are
‘stricter’ achieve lower exam grades (15.6) than those who find them
‘about the same’ (18.1) or ‘more easy-going’ (18.0).
Attitudes to school are somewhat associated with Leaving Certificate
performance. Correlations between positive attitudes at junior cycle level
and grades vary from +0.13 to +0.19. Liking school in senior cycle is
more predictive of later performance than attitudes in junior cycle, with
correlations of +0.41 and +0.37 for fifth and sixth year respectively. In
contrast to the findings concerning the quality of teacher-student interaction,
attitudes to teachers at junior cycle are not found to be associated
with later performance. However, liking teachers at senior cycle is positively
associated with Leaving Certificate grades (+0.21 for both fifth
and sixth year).
As might be expected, perceived capacity to cope with schoolwork
(academic self-image) is significantly associated with later performance.
The correlations between junior cycle measures and grades varies from
+0.21 to +0.28. The relationship at senior cycle is stronger, with correlations
of +0.43 and +0.45 for fifth and sixth year academic self-image. In
keeping with these patterns, students who find the pace of instruction
‘too fast’ in third, fifth or sixth year achieve lower Leaving Certificate
grades. Expected Leaving Certificate performance (measured in February
of the exam year) is significantly associated with actual grades; those
who expect to do ‘very well’ have a grade point average of 19.9 compared
with 17.2 for those who expect to do ‘well’, 14.1 for those who
expect to do ‘just below average’ and 12.2 for those who expect to do
‘well below average’. Those who see it as being ‘very important’ to do
well in the Leaving Certificate achieve higher grades than those who see
it as ‘important’ or ‘not very important’.
Educational aspirations at junior cycle are significantly associated
with later performance, with those aspiring to degree-level courses
achieving the highest grades (with correlations of +0.46). Time spent on
homework and study in junior cycle is positively associated with Leav-