Senior Cycle Research Articles

The Purpose of Second Level Engineering Education: An examination of curricular consistency and industry alignment

ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of learning outcomes presented within the Engineering subject specification that caters to students between the age of 12–15 years in the Republic of Ireland. The subject is the result of a recent curricular reform that included a redesign of all mainstream subjects delivered in the first 3 years of second-level schooling in Ireland. The study investigates the alignment between stated aims of the subject and its corresponding learning outcomes using content analysis methodology. Learning outcomes are categorised in alignment the Tuning-AHELO Framework, which outlines competencies associated with the engineering profession. Findings reveal both alignment and divergence between the aims of the subject specification and the included learning outcomes. When considered within the categories defined by the Tunning-AHELO Framework, learning outcomes exhibit a distinct focus on ‘Engineering Practice’, which is centred on manufacturing activities. Comparatively, few ‘Engineering Science’ and ‘Design’ learning outcomes were observed. The findings are considered within the ongoing reform of the subsequent Senior Cycle Engineering curriculum with a view to enhancing alignment with broadly established engineering competencies and supporting future curriculum development.

Teachers’ perspectives on the implementation of an ethical education curriculum in Ireland

ABSTRACT This study examines the perspectives of ten secondary school teachers on the implementation of a pilot Ethical Education curriculum at senior cycle in three Educate Together schools in Ireland. Informed by a synergy between two ecological approaches, namely the meta-theoretical Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the OECD Learning Compass 2030 policy framework for curriculum change, teacher data from interviews and surveys informed a revision to this draft curriculum. Teachers reported that the Ethical Education curriculum facilitated an environment where students had the opportunity to exercise their agency in demonstrating their knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to develop as moral agents. Recommendations were formulated and are presented using an ecosystemic approach, congruent with the CFIR and the Learning Compass, to guide the implementation of this curriculum at a national level.

Gifted Irish students’ perception of academic experiences during the pandemic

ABSTRACT Covid-19 had direct impact on education systems worldwide with school closures affecting learning for many students, including gifted adolescents. This study explored students’ perceptions of emergency online learning at school and how these differed to in-person classes and online classes they attended in the Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland (CTYI). Data analyses identified four factors of student responses (N = 322): Teacher Support, Self-Regulated Learning, Motivation Support, and Resource Access. Overall, CTYI received the highest mean scores across all categories and students favored in-person learning to online learning. Results highlighted a significant difference in scores between students in junior cycle of secondary school and senior cycle. Senior cycle students consistently reported less positive perceptions of their online learning than did junior cycle students. Using cluster analysis, patterns of online learning responses were identified. Despite differences in group comparisons, both senior and junior cycle students were found in clusters with positive attitudes and in clusters with negative attitudes. The findings have implications for future research, which should explore motivational and support changes that may be occurring in the transition from junior to senior cycle, as well as differences in self-regulation abilities.

Brief History of K-12 Computer Science Education in Ireland

This paper brings together the history of Computer Science Education in Ireland. It aims to plot Ireland's road-map leading to the implementation of formal Computer Science Education in schools. This road map starts with the first notions of introducing secondary school children to computing in the 1970s up to the roll out of a nationwide Computer Science curriculum in secondary school at the Senior Cycle level in 2018. This story is only available in disparate publications and reports, and piecing together the entire story is often difficult especially if you are from another jurisdiction and unfamiliar with the Irish education system. This paper collates the available literature as well as the authors local knowledge of the process, into one usable form that may be of interest locally and of value to other jurisdictions that are beginning their planning of national or regional curricula. This paper describes the development and the current situation of the formal curricula and standards in Computer Science at second level. The current landscape of Computing Education at primary level, which is currently in the planning stages in Ireland, will also be described. Additionally, an investigation into the current landscape of Computing Education in schools in the international jurisdictions that directly influenced the Irish roll out takes place, to evaluate their progress and summarize any lessons learned that might provide insights for Ireland going forward

What's trust got to do with it? The ‘washback effect’ of engagement in the 2020 calculated grades process on teachers' trust and future senior cycle reform in Ireland

AbstractIn Ireland, the high‐stakes Leaving Certificate Examination at the end of upper secondary education was abruptly cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid‐19 pandemic. Instead, calculated grades were introduced, necessitating for the first time the involvement of secondary school teachers in the assessment of their own students for certification. This article reports on analysis of responses to an online survey with 713 respondents conducted in the autumn of 2020, focusing on teacher experiences of engagement in the process of calculated grades in their schools and how this might inform perceptions of their future roles as assessors. Among the key findings to emerge from re‐analyses of these data are inter alia that, for some teachers, (1) negotiation of student grades with colleagues—particularly those at grade boundaries—caused them to question the professional judgements of peers; (2) release by the Department of Education and Skills of student ranks, in addition to grades, constituted a breach of trust because it ran contrary to what they understood had been agreed initially; and (3) living and working in small towns or rural communities in Ireland left them very vulnerable to disgruntled students and their families—resulting in the perception that trust in their professional judgements had been undermined. Hence, the conclusion that the success of Senior Cycle reform efforts is contingent on both rebuilding teachers' trust over time while also working, in the immediate term, with teachers interested in exploring further their roles in school‐based assessment for certification purposes.

Culture in the French Foreign Language Classroom

In recent years, our globalised world has put the emphasis on improving foreign language learning to make Irish graduates more employable and to make Irish workplaces more welcoming to workers from abroad. However, the achievement of these objectives poses a number of challenges for the Irish education system. In 2022, five years after the publication of Languages Connect: Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026 by the Department of Education and Skills (DES), these challenges have not yet been met. The Institute for Management Development Word Talent Ranking (2021) placed Ireland 37th (out of 64 countries) in relation to foreign language abilities. The uptake of foreign languages at third-level education in Ireland is also low, dropping from a 70% uptake in second-level education to 4% in third-level education (DES, 2017, p.16). In order to gain insights into the place of foreign languages in education in Ireland, this study investigates the place of culture in the French language secondary school Senior Cycle curriculum based on an analysis of selected textbooks, interviews with teachers of French and a survey of pupils studying French at secondary school in Ireland.

Promoting academic resilience in DEIS schools

ABSTRACT This article reports on baseline data gathered as part of an intervention project which aims to enhance academic performance, encourage retention and broaden the educational and career aspirations of senior cycle students in schools which serve socio-economically disadvantaged communities. The experiences and perceptions of 405 students attending 16 DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools who are participating in a voluntary after-school tuition programme are reported. Specifically, the article provides a demographic profile of the students in relation to familial education levels and parental occupations; explores whether the students had previously considered leaving school and what specific factors influenced their retention; and reports on the results of two standardised questionnaires, measuring perceived self-efficacy and sense of school belonging. Findings indicate that students reported an overall low level of self-efficacy but a positive sense of belonging in schools, with no differences reported across gender. Differences were observed, however, between those who had considered early school leaving and those who had not, with the former cohort recording lower self-efficacy and sense of belonging scores. This article presents an important, and possibly the first, profile of senior cycle students from DEIS schools who have demonstrated academic resilience in terms of school retention, career ambition, and availing of additional support in their schools through this intervention project.

Universal Design for Learning: Is It Gaining Momentum in Irish Education?

Responding to student diversity has become a key policy priority in education systems around the world. In addition to international and national institutional policies, major changes are underway in instructional practices and pedagogy in many national contexts. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has become a key pedagogical approach used in education systems which seek to promote inclusive and equitable education in response to student diversity. Despite Ireland’s policy commitment to inclusive education, UDL has been traditionally focused on the higher education sector with little discussion about the role UDL can play at primary and second-level education to achieve inclusion. Furthermore, there has been no research to date on the extent to which education policy reforms are introducing part, or all, of the aspects of the UDL framework. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which UDL is gaining momentum in Irish primary and second-level education through an analysis of curriculum policy. This paper examines the development and evolution of UDL in Irish education policy over the past decade by exploring the use of UDL in national educational curriculum frameworks. The paper highlights how UDL is slowly and implicitly emerging in education policy at a national level but suggests further momentum could be gained from its inclusion in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and professional development programmes. By exploring the development of UDL within existing policy contexts, the paper argues for a more explicit commitment to UDL as part of ongoing curriculum reform at the primary level, the review of Senior Cycle, and Ireland’s broader inclusive education agenda.

Examining Students’ Interest in Physics at Second Level in Ireland

This study examines students’ interest in physics within the culture and context of the Irish education system, at both lower and upper second level. In Ireland, the majority of students (aged 12-15 years) complete an integrated science curriculum at lower second level that encompasses learning outcomes across the disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology and earth and space. Students can choose what subjects they continue with at senior cycle and typically, 13-14% of students (aged 15-18 years) continue to study physics. This study reports on the student’s interest in physics and presents collated responses from 563 lower second level science students and 142 upper second level physics students. The findings of this study denote the differences between males and females interests in studying Physics at each level and in particular, highlight the effect that school type has on females’ interest in physics.

Irish pre-service mathematics teachers’ knowledge of curriculum-aligned content

This study critically examines the mathematics knowledge of pre-service post-primary mathematics teachers (N = 85) on commencing their Professional Master of Education (Level 9) initial teacher education (ITE) programme across four institutions in Ireland. Given the nature of a consecutive approach to mathematics teacher education, pre-service teachers enter their ITE programme from a variety of undergraduate degree backgrounds and it is largely accepted that their mathematical content knowledge does not change during their teacher qualification programme. This study utilises a paper-and-pencil test to assess participants’ cognitive and conceptual proficiency with curriculum-aligned mathematical content. Between group comparisons in relation to participants’ undergraduate studies and cognitive and conceptual proficiency are also examined. The data suggest that pre-service teachers demonstrate a strong proficiency with Junior Cycle curriculum-aligned content and poor proficiency with Senior Cycle content, irrespective of the curriculum strand. In addition, significant mean differences exist between participants who had undertaken undergraduate degree studies in physics and mathematics in comparison to other degree programmes. Such investigations are essential given the increased focused on developing highly qualified teachers and policy revisions on ITE programmes. This research alerts us to issues within ITE programmes that may be addressed prior to mathematics teachers’ induction into the profession.

The Implementation of an Ethical Education Curriculum in Secondary Schools in Ireland

The paper investigates teachers’ and principals’ experiences of implementing a pilot of an ethical education (EE) curriculum to a senior cycle programme in Educate Together secondary schools in Ireland. The development of this curriculum was informed by the Integrative Ethical Education Model (Lapsley and Narvaez, 2004). Thirteen teachers and two school principals were interviewed about their experiences of this curriculum and its impact on school culture and organisation. An implementation science approach informed a thematic analysis of transcripts that interrogated the perspectives of participants, and revealed the systemic factors that included barriers to, and facilitators of, EE curriculum implementation. Interviews were analysed inductively, by exploring participants’ experiences, and deductively, using Narvaez’s framework of ethical skills. Results were presented within the domains of school setting, wider school setting, curriculum characteristics and teacher characteristics, reflecting an implementation science approach. Findings suggest that this curriculum nurtured a positive school climate where students identified as having a greater sense of school belonging as a result of access to this curriculum.

A “new normal”: Teachers’ experiences of the day-to-day impact of incentivising the study of advanced mathematics

ABSTRACT This article examines teachers’ perspectives of the impact in the classroom of a novel approach to boosting participation in upper secondary (Senior Cycle) mathematics in Ireland at the most advanced level (Higher Level). This approach, termed the Bonus Points Initiative (BPI), is an incentive which has coincided with a gradual increase from 16% to 31.5% in the proportion of student cohorts opting to complete Higher Level Senior Cycle mathematics studies in Ireland between 2012 and 2018. Qualitative and quantitative data for this study was gathered through questionnaire responses from 266 teachers of Higher Level Senior Cycle mathematics across Ireland. Data analysis led to the identification of a number of emerging challenges for teachers, mainly due to widening ranges of attainment in their classrooms. These challenges include addition to workloads, worries that higher attaining students are being neglected, pressure to cover the syllabus, and concerns with regards to pace of instruction.

Art as Activism #stateoftheart: The Art Teachers Association of Ireland's campaign towards reform of the Leaving Certificate Art Curriculum

AbstractThe Art Teachers Association of Ireland's (ATAI), #stateoftheart campaign worked to persuade Irish policymakers to develop a new curriculum for Leaving Certificate art, reforming the long‐outdated 1972 curriculum. Students across the country designed over 3,000 postcards for the Minister for Education and an online petition was signed by 2,500 people. Students and teachers took to the corridors of schools and the streets of their towns to highlight the power of the arts and call for reform. Recently it was announced that a Senior Cycle development group under the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment would be created to address full reform of Leaving Certificate Art. This article will examine the context and rationale for the #stateoftheart campaign drawing on the images and voices of students and teachers.

Teaching mathematics after hours

ABSTRACT The quantum of instruction time allocated to curriculum subjects such as mathematics facilitates greater exposure to knowledge and skill development, leading to higher levels of achievement. There are a number of manifestations of time to consider when investigating the quantum of time in mathematics education. The OECD have investigated the time allocated to mathematics by schools internationally, while also reporting on the prevalence of private tuition and time spent on homework. However, to date, no attention has been afforded to the provision of ‘hidden curriculum time’ for mathematics. This study seeks to advance the work of the OECD and describes a case study that sought to ascertain if teachers in Ireland provide additional mathematics lessons outside of school hours. The authors examined how prevalent this practice is, how many additional minutes some students receive as a result of this practice and ascertained teachers’ reasons for providing/not providing these additional mathematics classes. The results from this case study show that the majority of teachers at Senior Cycle provide these classes while a large proportion of Junior Cycle teachers also do. In extreme cases, these additional classes expose students to an additional 88.3 h of mathematics over the two-year Senior Cycle programme.

From iTE to NQT

This article outlines a study to examine if newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who had incorporated iPad within pedagogical practice during initial teacher education, continued to do so in their first two years of teaching, and also to identify the challenges to integration that emerged. Findings show that use of iPad in teaching, learning and assessment by NQTs during induction year was followed by a significant fall in Year 2. Deeply embedded external barriers at both system and individual school context level are shown to exert significant influence on the use of iPad within pedagogical practice. It is concluded that NQTs require ongoing support to maintain and develop their practice with technology, and also that significant reform is required at senior cycle in Irish secondary schools to enable technology integration.

Time allocated to mathematics in post-primary schools in Ireland: are we in double trouble?

ABSTRACTMathematics educators and legislators worldwide have begun placing a greater emphasis on teaching mathematics for understanding and through the use of real-life applications. Revised curricula have led to the time allocated to mathematics in effected countries being scrutinised. This has resulted in policy-makers and educationalists worldwide calling for the inclusion of double class periods on the mathematics timetable. Research from the United States suggests that the introduction of double or block periods allow for the objectives of revised curricula to be realized. The aim of this study, which is set in the school context, is first to ascertain if schools in Ireland are scheduling double periods for mathematics at both lower post-primary level (Junior Cycle) and upper post-primary level (Senior Cycle). It also seeks to determine if there is a link between teachers’ levels of satisfaction with the time allocated to mathematics and the provision of double periods and to get insights from teachers in relation to their opinions on what can be achieved through the introduction of such classes. Questionnaires were sent to 400 post-primary schools (approximately 1600 teachers) which were selected using stratified sampling techniques. It was found that 8.7% of mathematics teachers reported the provision of double periods at Junior Cycle while 55% reported that double periods were included on their timetable at Senior Cycle. The study also identified a link between teachers’ levels of satisfaction with the time allocated to mathematics and the provision of double periods. Finally, teachers felt that double periods allowed for new teaching methodologies, which were promoted by the revised curricula, to be implemented and teaching for understanding was also more feasible. In essence, it was found that double periods have an influence on the mathematical experience of post-primary students as well as the teaching approaches employed.

Digital ensemble: the ENaCT design‐based research framework for technology‐enhanced embodied assessment in English education

This article outlines the a educational design for Digital Ensemble, an innovative approach to English assessment integrating drama pedagogy with mobile computing (e.g. ad). a represents the key themes that framed and informed the research: ensemble, narrative, collaboration and technology. Starting with a as a prototype concept design for the development and evaluation of technology‐enhanced embodied assessment in English, the research developed and refined the model through collaborative cycles of design with post‐primary schools. The design‐based research study reported here was undertaken in three significant design iterations, totalling 15 weeks and 85 teaching hours. 131 Irish Senior Cycle students, aged 15 to 17 participated: 45, 46 and 45 pupils respectively in iterations one, two and three. Two teachers participated throughout. The article outlines for English teachers and educational designers the adaptable a framework for Digital Ensemble, including design and assessment criteria and evaluation rubrics, illustrated by exemplars of pupils’ work.

Technology enhanced collaborative learning using a project-based learning management system

Social software is changing the ways students and instructors share information and is increasingly used a part of a collaborative learning process. Collaborative learning improves engagement and is particularly effective when introduced as part of project-based learning (PBL) for teams. However, PBL for teams also introduces social dilemmas where less motivated students engage in social loafing, allowing more motivated students to do most of the collaborative work. This paper presents an approach to collaborative learning using an experimental learning management system (LMS) designed specifically for team-based PBL. This LMS assists instructors to counteract the negative effects of social dilemmas. The novel approach presented has undergone testing with Masters and senior cycle Undergraduates who engaged in team projects in the field of innovation management and strategic planning. Results presented in this paper from three real use cases show high student engagement high satisfaction, and low social loafing.

Media education in Ireland: an overview

This article examines the origins and development of media education in the primary and secondary levels of the educational system. The rapid development and popularity of media-related courses, predominantly of a vocational nature, at third level arguably requires separate attention. In this instance, it is media teaching within the core curriculum for a general student population that is in question, whether as a subject in its own right or as part of another subject, such as English. A consideration of the position and role of media studies within Irish education is now timely: calls for education to be more relevant and attuned to the world in which we live have been answered by significant curriculum change and, it is felt by its advocates, media education offers a paradigm of what education should be like in today's complex, information-dominated world (Masterman, 1985). Historically, Ireland's approach to school curriculum development has been a highly centralised one, closely monitored by the Department of Education and Science. The formation of the statutory National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) from its predecessor, the advisory Curriculum and Examinations Boards, was a crucial step towards a more responsive and flexible system of curriculum development. A number of innovations have followed from this. The Junior Certificate programme, comprising the three year junior cycle of secondary education was introduced in 1989, replacing the Intermediate and Group Certificate examinations. It now provides a single unified programme for students aged between twelve and fifteen years, emphasising knowledge, understanding, skills and competencies. It also emphasises qualities of ‘responsible citizenship in a national, European and global context’. It is in this context that the majority of students encounter media studies as a formal element of the curriculum. The child-centred and integrated curriculum of the primary system, first introduced in 1971, has undergone a sustained process of review since 1990 and a revised national curriculum is now being introduced on a phased basis. The traditionally academic senior cycle programme that prepared students for higher education is undergoing restructuring, in part due to the increased participation rates, and in response to its outmoded university-oriented approach. An optional transition year programme has now been introduced offering students opportunities for personal and social development. Its interdisciplinary and student-centred nature has provided interested teachers with extensive opportunities for the development of media education modules. The established Leaving Certificate examination is the terminal examination for the majority of students in the fifteen to eighteen age groups. Students take at least five subjects, though in practice seven to eight is the norm. Recent revisions of Leaving Certificate syllabi have included the inclusion of the study of film in the English curriculum.

A profile of mathematics instruction time in Irish second level schools

Similar to counties such as the UK and Netherlands, second level schools in Ireland are free to decide how to allocate instruction time between curriculum subjects. This results in variations between the quantum of time allocated to teaching mathematics in different schools and between different class groups within the same school. This quantitative study builds a profile for both lower second level (Junior Cycle) and upper second level (Senior Cycle) mathematics instruction time in Ireland. The results of the study highlight that although the proportion of time is on par with the OECD average, there are many issues of concern regarding instruction time in Ireland. These include the short length of the school year, experimentation with new teaching approaches, the high number of subjects studied, variations between individual school and class group allocations and the number of classes that do not take place.