Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 13• Respondent school experiences prior to entering LCA and keyinfluences on their decision making process;• Learning experiences during LCA focusing on LCA curriculum,assessment, teaching methods, teacher-student relations (includingguidance counselling) and work experience;• Post-school pathways into the labour market, further studies,apprenticeship or unemployment;• Opinion of LCA, perceived benefits of the programme and itsusefulness since leaving school.Data from the 2006 School Leavers’ Survey was used to identifyinterviewees who had completed or dropped out of LCA during the2003/04 academic year. We identified 150 LCA students in the survey, 120of those were young people who had completed the progamme and 30who had dropped out. Letters of request were sent to their addresses anddespite a financial incentive of €50, just 29 young people responded andagreed to be interviewed, 24 who had graduated from LCA and 5 who haddropped out in fifth year. It is important to note, however, the selectionissues involved in this type of qualitative research. The low level ofresponse may have been due to the fact that some young people did notwish to talk about their school experiences or lives subsequently.Therefore, it must be borne in mind that those who did respond werecomfortable to have these conversations and may represent more positiveexperiences in LCA.Analysis of the sample of LCA completers interviewed as part of thequalitative research shows them to be largely representative of the nationalpopulation of LCA school leavers. With the exception of a higherproportion of females in our LCA sample and a slightly higher proportionof young people from professional backgrounds as compared to thenational population, we are confident that our sample of young peoplecaptures the broader population of LCA participants. On a range of keyeducational attitudes (such as views on whether they thought school workwas worth doing, their friends took school seriously and teachers listenedto their views), our qualitative sample virtually mirrors the views of thelarger LCA school leaving population.The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data waslater analysed using the QSR NVivo 8 software to identify emergingthemes. Table 2.1 indicates the characteristics of participants. Out of thesample of 16 females and 13 males, 5 interviewees had dropped out ofLCA in fifth year and the remainder had completed the programme.Pseudonyms have been used throughout the report for all thoseinterviewed. Aged between 21 and 25 years, the respondents weredistributed throughout the country in 17 different counties. They attendeda variety of school types which included 12 secondary, 6 vocational, 10community/comprehensive and one special school. 11 out of the 28schools were designated DEIS schools. Respondents had entered a widerange of pathways since they left school and at the time of interview 10were in employment, 8 in further education and training, 6 unemployedand 5 engaged in home duties. 11 ‘Home duties’ refers to those not in the labour market because of childcare and/orhousehold responsibilities.