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

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning 33
A stronger relationship between level take-up at junior cycle and that
at senior cycle is found for some subjects than others. The first column
of Figure 2.8 shows the proportion of young people who had taken
higher level in the Junior Certificate exam but took ordinary or foundation
level in the Leaving Certificate exam. Of those who had taken
higher level English for the Junior Certificate, only a relatively small
proportion (15 per cent) dropped to ordinary level in the Leaving Certificate
exam. Such movement was much more common in Irish than in
English, with 41 per cent of those who had taken higher level Irish in the
Junior Certificate transferring to ordinary or foundation level for the
Leaving Certificate. The pattern is markedly different for Maths, where
the majority (66 per cent) of those who had taken higher level at Junior
Certificate level moved to ordinary or foundation level for the Leaving
Certificate exam.
Changes in the subject levels taken are possible right up to the day of
the Leaving Certificate exam. Survey responses mid-way through sixth
year can therefore be compared with the actual levels taken to provide
insights into ‘last-minute’ changes. The second set of columns in Figure
2.8 indicates that very few students (3 per cent) who reported taking
higher level English at the time of the survey subsequently took ordinary
Figure 2.8: Proportion of students moving from higher to
ordinary/foundation level in Irish, English and Maths
70
60
50
%
40
30
20
10
JC exam-LC exam
6th year-LC exam
0
Irish English Maths