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

Introduction 13
pressure for an individual to answer every question so responses made
are likely to be more genuine and substantial (Vaughan et al., 1996;
Fredrickson et al., 2004). For this study, students were interviewed in
groups of approximately six classmates in February-March of sixth
year; a total of 53 group interviews were conducted. Within the student
focus group interviews, the key objective was to elicit from each group
of participants a comprehensive range of views, perceptions and reflections
about their experiences in sixth year (and, to some extent, their
overall school experiences more generally).The interviews were semistructured
in nature and involved questions about teaching and learning
in sixth year, preparation for the Leaving Certificate exam, and plans
for the future.
Although it is argued that students are likely to feel more supported,
relaxed and confident in a group than in an individual interview, the potential
advantages of this approach for school personnel appeared less
clear-cut. Individual face-to-face interviews were held with principals,
guidance counsellors and year heads at each of the twelve case-study
schools. Questions to these key personnel sought information about the
perceived effect of the impending exams on students, their views on the
senior cycle curriculum and the nature of guidance provided to sixth year
students. The individual and group interviews were recorded and transcribed;
the transcripts were analysed using the NVivo software package
to identify the main themes emerging from the interviews and to compare
and contrast the views of different groups of students.
1.3.2 Characteristics of the Case-study Schools
The twelve case-study schools were identified on the basis of a national
survey of second-level school principals and were selected on the basis
of three dimensions: their approach to ability grouping (whether mixed
ability or streamed base classes), the timing of subject choice (whether
pre- or post-entry, and whether a taster programme was provided) and
the degree of emphasis on student integration structures for first years
(see Table 1.1). Having focused on identifying a mix of schools along
these dimensions, every effort was made to select schools to encompass
a range of sectors, sizes, locations and student characteristics (see Table
1.2). A particular focus in school selection was capturing variation in the