Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1.1: Rates of Youth Unemployment 1990-2005 6Figure 3.1: Proportion of Second-level Schools Providing LCA, 1997-2007 15Figure 3.2: Patterns of Programme Provision Across Second-level Schools WhereLCA is Offered (2006) 16Figure 3.3: LCA Provision by School Sector, 1997-2007 17Figure 3.4: Participation in Year One of the Leaving Certificate, 1997-2007 17Figure 3.5: Participation in Year Two of the Leaving Certificate, 1997-2007 18Figure 3.6: Proportion Taking LCA Among LC Examination Candidates, 1997-2007 18Figure 3.7: Distribution of Students by Programme and School Sector, 1997 and 2006 19Figure 3.8: Male Representation Among Programme Participants, 1997-2007 19Figure 3.9: LCA Awards, 1997 and 2007 20Figure 3.10: LCA Take-up by School-type 22Figure 3.11: LCA Take-up by School Size 23Figure 3.12: LCA Take-up by Disadvantaged Status 23Figure 3.13: LCA Take-up by Region 24Figure 3.14: Attrition Within Senior Cycle by Programme Type, 1998-2007 25Figure 3.15: Attitudes to School Among LCA Completers and Non-Completers 26Figure 4.1: LCA Take-up by Social Class 30Figure 4.2: LCA Take-up by Reading and Maths Ability on Intake 33Figure 4.3: LCA Take-up by Ability Group 34Figure 4.4: Mean Number of Subjects Taken at Different Levels by Programme Taken 37Figure 4.5: Pattern of Teacher-student Interaction Among Third Year StudentsComparing LCA Entrants to Other Students 39Figure 4.6: LCA Take-up by Frequency of Misbehaviour 39Figure 4.7: LCA Take-up by Educational Aspirations 42Figure 4.8: LCA Take-up by Occupational Aspirations 43Figure 4.9: Reasons for Taking the LCA Programme 48Figure 5.1: Proportion of Schools Providing Selected Subjects, 2007 59Figure 5.2: Proportion of Schools Providing Vocational Specialisms, 2007 59Figure 5.3: Take-up of Vocational Specialism Courses by Gender, 2007 63Figure 5.4: Comparison of Schoolwork and Homework in Fifth Year withExperiences in Junior Certificate Year, as Reported by Students 64IX