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

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From Leaving Certificate to Leaving School
tions. Later in this report, we explore the extent to which schools vary in
Leaving Certificate exam performance and what factors account for any
such variation.
Figure 1.1: Junior Certificate grade point average (GPAV) and
proportion of students leaving before the Leaving Certificate in the
case-study schools
9
60
G
P
A
V
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
50
40
30
20
10
%
D
r
o
p
-
o
u
t
0
0
Dixon St
Lang St
Hay St
Dawes
Pt
Barrack
St
Dawson
St
Wattle
St
Park St
Belmore
St
Argyle
St
Harris St
Fig Lane
Working-class Mixed Middle-class
JC GPAV
Drop-out
1.4 Chapter Outline
The remainder of the report is outlined as follows. Chapters Two, Three
and Four examine student experiences of teaching and learning in their
final year of school, providing crucial insights into the impact of the current
Leaving Certificate model. Chapter Two explores student views on
the curriculum in sixth year, their perceptions of the teaching methods
used and the nature of their interaction with teachers. Chapter Three considers
how students prepare for the Leaving Certificate exam, focusing
on how they balance homework, studying and schoolwork; it also investigates
the prevalence of exam-related stress among sixth years. Chapter
Four focuses on student performance in the Leaving Certificate exam
and investigates the individual and school influences on student outcomes.
Chapters Five and Six look at how young people make decisions
about life after school. Chapter Five considers the nature of career guidance
received with a view to understanding how students develop their