Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

78 ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE?and … when I'd see the teachers speaking to them in the hallway they looked likethey were having like respect for each other. (Jackie, 22, completed LCA,home duties)Despite having a great relationship with her LCA teachers, Barbaranoticed that the teachers who were not involved in LCA would continue totreat her as they had done in junior cycle.I found that the teachers that weren’t involved in the LCA, they were alwayspicking on you in the corridors, stupid little things. (Barbara, 23, completedLCA, employed)Comparing LCA and LCE/LCVP students using data from thelongitudinal study, students taking LCA tend to have significantly higherrates of misbehaviour than other students, especially in relation to beinglate for school, getting into trouble for not following the school rules andtruanting. They were also more likely to receive detention and to have beensuspended during the current school year (46 per cent v. 7 per cent in sixthyear). It is important, however, to note that LCA students had higher ratesof misbehaviour at the end of third year so these differences do not reflectthe influence of LCA. In fact, many young people indicated the way inwhich more active teaching methods and improved relations with teachersmeant that discipline was much less of an issue than had been the case injunior cycle:We had the same teachers but they treated us a lot differentlySo how do you think?Treated us a lot better, they were, you know, a lot more lenient and a lot nicer.(Tim, 21, completed LCA, unemployed)LCA students received credits for attendance which many suggestedimproved their attendance at school and timekeeping after they left school.Greater engagement with lessons was also seen as contributing to studentslooking forward to coming to school, rather than actively avoiding it (seeabove). Niamh’s attendance record improved when she went into LCA:That’s another thing about LCA, you got points, you got points for timekeepingand attendance so if you were late or missed days you were deducted points … InLCA like, you know, I had a great timekeeping and attendance record so, it wasgood in a way like, where in first, second and third year you didn’t really mindmissing days really, but in LCA it was important so you never really did.(Niamh, 21, completed LCA, employed)Sarah felt that during LCA everybody enjoyed going into school whichimproved their attendance levels:Everyone loved going to school, I’d say, like I never I’d say missed maybe six daysin the two years I’d say and … you like want to go to school, you don’t mindgoing to school like, you’re there and you’re having a laugh as well as doinganything else like. And yeah, I think everyone was pretty much the same in myclass anyway. … There was nobody going oh, I hate school, you know what Imean. … You’re more aware of what that can actually do to you in like the longterm and I’d say since, since then, since I’ve started working like, I don’t think