THE POINTS SYSTEM AND GRADING OF THE LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
Eoghan Mac Aogáin
Educational Research Centre, St Patrick’s College, Dublin
The study described in this paper examines official figures for the grades awarded in 20 subjects in the Leaving Certificate Examination (LCE) at Ordinary and Higher levels in the period 1996 to 2005. Eleven subjects recorded significant gains or losses of candidates during the period. A graphic display of grade distributions by subject and level shows large variation in grading procedures across subjects and very little within subjects, except for changes in the mean. Grades (expressed as CAO points and combined for Ordinary and Higher-level examinations) improved significantly in 15 subjects, due partly to the award of more higher grades each year but also, and more decisively, to the transfer of candidates from Ordinary to Higher level programmes and examinations. It is argued that the large variation between LCE subjects in the percentage of candidates taking the Higher level examination, ranging from 20% to 90%, effectively removes from public scrutiny a large portion of the CAO points awards made to LCE candidates.
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A SURVEY OF ICT IN POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Judith Cosgrove, Sarah Zastrutzki, and Gerry Shiel
Educational Research Centre, St Patrick’s College, Dublin
Information was obtained in conjunction with PISA 2003 about computer resources in schools in participating countries, and students’ use of, and confidence with, computers. The ratio of students to computers in Ireland (9.0:1) was higher than the OECD average (6.2:1). The percentage of computers in schools connected to the Internet (67%) was lower than the OECD average (79%), as was the percentage of computers with Local Area Network (LAN) connectivity (36% compared to 69%). In Ireland and in other OECD countries, the socioeconomic composition of schools was only weakly related to these three indicators of school ICT resources. Some differences in computer resources were observed between school types. The student-computer ratio was higher in secondary schools than in community/comprehensive and vocational schools. It was also higher in single-sex than in mixed-sex schools. Levels of access of Irish students to computers at school and at home were similar to OECD averages. However, students’ use of computers was comparatively low in Ireland, particularly in schools. One-third of students in Ireland (over twice the OECD average) said that they never used a computer at school. Irish students also reported comparatively low levels of confidence in computer use, although gender differences favouring boys on these measures were smaller in Ireland than in many other countries.
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INTEGRATED AND FAITH-BASED SCHOOLING IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Claire McGlynn
School of Education, Queen’s University, Belfast
Issues are explored relating to the diversity of schooling provision in Northern Ireland in the context of the debate around faith-based schooling in England and elsewhere. The benefits to individuals from a religious point of view are off-set against any potential impact on social cohesion. Integrated schools as models for shared education are considered, as are innovative methods of co-management that may emerge in the future. In the context of a fragile society emerging from conflict and yet apparently more polarized than ever, it is argued that choices inevitably have consequences and that the long-term price of separate schooling may be further division.
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A REVIEW OF PROCEDURES TO SELECT SCHOOLS FOR SUPPORT TO DEAL WITH EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE
Susan Weir and Peter Archer
Educational Research Centre, St Patrick’s College, Dublin
In response to claims that the provision of schemes to alleviate educational disadvantage in Ireland is fragmented, the extent to which anomalies exist in the selection of schools for participation in various primary-level programmes and the overlap between schemes at post-primary level are examined. While the degree of overlap between schemes at primary level is greater than is often claimed, overlap at post-primary level is less satisfactory. The extent to which schools and pupils benefit from programmes in four locations (cities, large towns, small/medium towns, and rural areas) is examined. Analysis at primary level revealed that city schools and pupils are overrepresented, though there was no evidence that the incidence of disadvantage is greater in cities than in other locations. Further issues considered are the use of multiple indicators to identify disadvantage, the appropriateness of indicators in urban and rural settings, and the use of educational, in addition to socioeconomic, criteria.
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THE EFFECTS OF OLFACTORY STIMULI ON SCHOLASTIC PERFORMANCE
Burhan Akpinar
Faculty of Education, Firat Universitesi, Elazig, Turkey
The research described in this paper was carried out to determine the effects of olfactory stimuli (provided by natural essence oils of lemon) on achievement in English of fourth grade pupils in a school in Turkey. Pupils were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n:29) or a control group (n:29). Both groups were taught English lessons twice a week for a period of four weeks as part of the normal curriculum. In the experimental group, lessons were provided in an aromatic atmosphere. In the control group, lessons were provided in a normal classroom environment. Following treatment, the experimental group outperformed the control group on an achievement test in English. A month after the termination of treatment, the performance of both groups on the achievement test had deteriorated, but the experimental group still outperformed the control group.
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OPINIONS OF THE IRISH PUBLIC ON THE GOALS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION
Thomas Kellaghan and Michael Daly
Educational Research Centre, St Patrick’s College, Dublin
In a survey of a representative sample of the Irish adult (aged 15+ years) population (n:1,511), respondents were asked in interview their opinion about the emphasis which primary schools placed on 13 goals. In this paper, results are provided for respondent gender, age, socioeconomic level, school leaving standard, and whether or not the respondent had children in the education system. While the findings indicate broad public support for the objectives, there were considerable differences in the approval given various objectives and between categories of respondent. Male and female respondents differed for only three goals. Differences relating to age, socioeconomic status, and school leaving standard were much more common. Younger and better educated respondents were most critical of the current system.
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