Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

48 ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE?4.4Entry intoLCAUsing data from the School Leavers’ Survey for four cohorts of schoolleavers along with evidence from qualitative interviews, this sectionexamines the main reasons for students taking the LCA programme.Findings show that students’ negative school experiences in junior cycletend to influence their programme choice in senior cycle. Decisions toenter the programme appear to be based on feelings of low self-efficacyand self-doubt. Figure 4.9 shows that the main reasons for students takingthe LCA appear to be based on their own perceptions of what they want,such as ‘more practical subjects’ or that they ‘didn’t think they would dowell’ in the LCE. Qualitative interviews show a degree of self-choiceamongst respondents in their decision to opt for the programme. Many felttheir parents had little influence on their decision. Other external reasonsappear to factor in student’s choice processes such as teachers, schools andpeer groups (see also Darmody and Smyth, 2005; Hallinan and Williams,1990).The curriculum is the biggest factor in the decision to take LCA withjust under 40 per cent of students stating they ‘wanted to take morepractical subjects’. The second most popular reason relates to studentperceptions of their academic ability with a fifth of those surveyed thinkingthey would not do well in the LCE. Interestingly, a gender difference existsin student opinions of the LCE with females who chose LCA feeling lessable than males (26 per cent compared with 16 per cent). Influences suchas teachers and schools also play a significant role in student decisionmaking with 19 per cent of students taking the LCA because theirteacher(s) advised them to take it and another 12 per cent were told bytheir school to take LCA. The influence of peers in the decision makingprocess is also significant with 9 per cent stating ‘most of my friends weretaking it’. Males are more likely to take LCA because ‘everyone in theschool was taking it’ than females (6 per cent compared with 3 per cent).Figure 4.9: Reasons for Taking the LCA Programme45403530%2520151050Wanted to takemore practicalsubjectsDidn't think I woulddo well in estab LCMy teacher(s)advised me to takeitTold by the schoolto take itMost of my friendswere taking itEveryone in theschool was taking itSource: School Leavers’ Survey 2002-2007.Total Males Females