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

Looking Back, Moving Forward 179
There were surprisingly few differences for most outcomes in the perceived
benefits of second-level education across those taking different
Leaving Certificate programmes. The exceptions related to preparation
for work and ICT skills, with LCA students being much more positive
about these aspects of their education than their peers taking LCE or
LCVP (Figure 6.2). LCA students were also somewhat more positive
about the extent to which school had prepared them for adult life.
Figure 6.2: Perceived benefits of second-level education by Leaving
Certificate programme
70
60
50
%
40
30
20
10
Preparation for work
ICT skills
0
LCE LCVP LCA
Higher-achieving students (in terms of Junior Certificate grades) appear
to be more positive about some of the benefits of their education, including
increasing their self-confidence, helping them develop into a wellbalanced
person, and improving their reading/writing skills. In contrast,
students who had achieved lower grades in their Junior Certificate were
more positive about their ICT skills, most likely reflecting the greater use
of ICT in the classroom in working-class and male-dominated contexts
(see Chapter Two). Young women were somewhat more likely to feel
their schooling had helped them to talk and communicate well with others,
to make new friends and to think for themselves, but these patterns
are more related to their distribution across schools rather than gender