Published in: Large-scale Assessments in Education
Abstract:
Boys in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia consistently and significantly underperform compared to girls across different grades and subjects, forming one of the largest gender gaps in student achievement in the world. Saudi Arabia offers a unique setting in which boys and girls attend separate schools on a universal basis starting from grade 1. This means that boys and girls are educated only by male and female teachers, respectively, in effect inhabiting parallel education systems. In this context, this study examines the factors that are associated with student achievement in mathematics and science in grades 4 and 8 and the extent to which these associations are different for boys and girls, in an effort to gain insights into boys’ underachievement in mathematics and science in Saudi Arabia. The paper employs data from two recent large-scale assessments of education: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 and Saudi Arabia’s National Assessment of Learning Outcomes (NALO) 2018. A series of hierarchical two-level linear regression models showed that in grade 4, school climate was more strongly associated with boys’ compared with girls’ achievement in both mathematics and science, with boys attending schools of poorer school climate having a considerably lower performance compared with girls attending such schools. The findings also indicated that although greater literacy and numeracy readiness was linked with higher science achievement among boys and girls, grade 4 boys tended to benefit more from this readiness than girls. In addition, the results show that student absenteeism in grade 4 is particularly strongly associated with decreases in mathematics achievement among boys. In grade 8, significant interactions between gender and the extent to which students feel confident in science, the degree of schools’ emphasis on academic success, and teachers’ age are observed. The paper concludes by discussing some of the implications of these findings for educators and policy makers in Saudi Arabia.
Elsayed, M., Clerkin, A., Pitsia, V., Aljabri, N., & al-Harbi, K. (2022). Boys’ underachievement in mathematics and science: An analysis of national and international assessment data from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Large-scale Assessments in Education, 10 (23). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40536-022-00141-9
Published in: European Journal of Educational Research
Abstract:
Recent educational policy initiatives in Ireland have focused on improving outcomes in reading and mathematics among students, particularly those experiencing educational disadvantage. However, science achievement in Irish primary schools has received much less research attention, especially in the context of educational disadvantage. This article examines science achievement and its relationship to school compositional effects in primary schools at the national level, including school-average indicators of the school context, as well as examining factors associated with science achievement in three distinct categories of schools (those with high, moderate, or minor levels of educational disadvantage). The data are drawn from the Fourth grade Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 database for Ireland. Multilevel analyses were implemented in a stepwise manner. Findings suggest the relevance of school contexts with regard to science achievement. Before including school-level contextual variables, students from ‘minor disadvantaged’ schools achieved significantly higher science scores than students from schools with ‘moderate’ or ‘high’ levels of disadvantaged. However, this difference disappears after controlling for predictors at the school level. The findings highlight the importance of the home environment, including early numeracy activities and skills before children start school. Results are discussed with regard to educational policy and educational practice in Ireland.
Nonte, S., Clerkin, A., & Perkins, R. (2022). An examination of science achievement and school compositional effects in Ireland using TIMSS data. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(4), 2523-2536. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.11.4.2523
Published in: Wellbeing and Schooling. Transdisciplinary Perspectives in Educational Research
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This chapter describes two programmes, with significant similarities and differences, that have been available in Ireland since 1974 (Transition Year; TY) and South Korea since 2013 (Free Year Programme ; FYP ). TY takes place over one full year as an integrated part of mainstream secondary education. TY students engage in developmental activities, vocational work experience, and increased interaction with the adult world. These experiences are intended to facilitate enhanced maturity and broadened horizons, supporting young people in becoming fulfilled citizens. Although TY is well-established within Ireland, it is an unusual innovation internationally. However, 2013 saw the introduction of FYP , which was partially informed by TY. South Korean policy-makers recognised concern about student wellbeing and stress in a high-stakes academic environment , and challenges relating to students’ readiness for the working world. FYP is a response to those concerns. This chapter offers an overview and comparisons between the two programmes. We argue that both are founded on a eudaimonic view of wellbeing in education, aiming for more holistic and rounded student development. Significantly, both programmes emphasise community engagement and interpersonal development, alongside personal development and self-directed learning. The challenges and practices identified offer lessons for educators in Ireland, South Korea, and other jurisdictions.
Clerkin, A., Jeffers, G. & Choi, S.D. (2022). Wellbeing in personal development: Lessons from national school-based programmes in Ireland and South Korea. In: McLellan, R., Faucher, C. & Simovska, V. (eds) Wellbeing and Schooling. Transdisciplinary Perspectives in Educational Research. Vol. 4 (pp.155-172). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95205-1_10
Published in: Irish Educational Studies
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The task of effectively embedding digital technology use in classrooms is among the challenges currently faced by educators in Ireland and internationally. This paper builds on analyses conducted as part of a longitudinal evaluation of Ireland’s Digital Learning Framework. Findings suggest that many teachers – especially at the post-primary level – have a somewhat restricted view of what ‘embedding’ means in this context. Such responses indicate a focus on using digital devices for activities that would be happening in the classroom already, rather than embracing more flexible and constructivist pedagogical approaches to take advantage of the range of options provided by digital technology for teaching, learning and assessment. This implies that even if all of the infrastructure and connectivity needs of schools in Ireland are met over the coming years – itself a substantial task – there is a risk that teachers may not use these devices as effectively as could be. We argue that digital technology in the classroom can open up new possibilities for how education (teaching, learning, assessment) is carried out. We explore how teachers’ understanding of the concept of ‘embedding’ can be strengthened and the envisaged impact on children’s education of doing so.
Feerick, E., Clerkin, A., & Cosgrove, J. (2022). Teachers’ understanding of the concept of “embedding” digital technology in education. Irish Educational Studies, 41 (1), 27-39. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03323315.2021.2022521
Published in: British Journal of Educational Psychology
Background: Transition Year (TY) is a quasi-gap year offered midway through post-primary education in Ireland. TY is intended to provide a low-stakes environment to promote maturity and social skills, and to prepare students for adult life. Previous interview-based research has found that TY is seen as a positive experience by many students and teachers. However, no study has sought to quantify the extent to which TY participation may be associated with socioemotional development.
Aims: To gather baseline data before TY and then examine differences in socioemotional outcomes over a 2-year period (three waves of data collection) between students who went on to take part in TY and those who did not.
Sample: A total of 1,563 Grade 9 students (47% female, mean age = 15.4 years) in 20 schools were randomly sampled to provide a nationally representative sample.
Methods: Outcome measures were selected to reflect (1) the intended aims of TY and (2) outcomes consistently identified through qualitative research as being associated with TY. These include student–teacher relations, self-reliance, subjective age, school satisfaction, and social self-efficacy. Latent growth curve models were used to examine differences in students’ development over time, controlling for initial (baseline) status and background covariates.
Results: TY participants reported significantly higher increases in subjective age and (for boys) self-reliance over three waves than non-participants. However, expected differences were not observed for other measures.
Conclusions: This is the first study to report longitudinal quantitative analyses of socioemotional outcomes in TY. The results highlight a tension between broadly positive qualitative reports of TY outcomes and the limited quantitative evidence, to date, of same. Some directions for future research are suggested.
Clerkin, A. (2020). A three-wave longitudinal assessment of socioemotional development in a year-long school-based ‘gap year’. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 90, 109-129. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12267
Summary
This report presents findings from a three-year, three-wave longitudinal study of students’ experiences and perceptions of Transition Year (TY) and associated socioemotional outcomes. Some aspects of the study have been reported elsewhere (Clerkin, 2016, 2018a, 2018c, 2019). The current report focuses especially on the student voice: what students know and think about TY while in Third Year, such as the parts of TY that would attract them and those that would deter; what they report from their experience as participants during TY; and how they view TY in retrospect from a more senior vantage point in Fifth Year and Sixth Year. A wide range of viewpoints is represented, including students who opted to take part in TY, students who took part in a compulsory TY, and students who chose to skip the programme entirely. The nature and extent of variation in students’ TY experience between schools is also considered.
Published in: NCCA Senior Cycle Review discussion paper
Abstract:
This summary gives a brief overview of what is known from previous research on Transition Year (TY), which draws strongly on the views of students and teachers. It includes the most commonly-reported benefits and problems that are associated with TY, as well as several important issues about which we still have relatively limited information.
The summary ends with some suggestions for aspects of TY provision that are worth reflecting on at a time when the Irish senior cycle, including TY, is under review. The senior cycle consultation provides an opportunity to critically examine and reappraise our assumptions about TY and the various ways in which it has been implemented in different schools and different contexts. In doing so, we can consider areas where students’ educational experience could be enhanced in a future senior cycle, and identify existing practices or ideas that should be maintained for future cohorts.
Clerkin, A. (2019). What do we know about Transition Year? Looking to the future. (Senior Cycle Review discussion paper). Dublin: Educational Research Centre and National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. https://www.ncca.ie/media/3758/scr-erc-ty-research.pdf
Published in: Review of Education
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Since the 1970s, schools in Ireland have offered an optional programme known as ‘Transition Year’ midway through secondary education, when students are typically 15 years old. It lasts one academic year and aims to promote maturity, social development and vocational exploration, and to give students a chance to develop personal and intellectual interests in the absence of high-stakes examination pressure. On returning to more conventional classes, participants are expected to be better prepared to study and better prepared for life beyond school. The evolution of Transition Year over nearly half a century has been driven primarily by committed teachers and particular policy decisions, but, despite increasing uptake, it has lacked a strong theoretical grounding. This has contributed to a measure of public ambivalence and vulnerability to political vicissitudes. This paper reviews the extant literature on Transition Year, situates Transition Year in the context of selected aspects of the psychological literature on socioemotional development, highlights avenues for future research and discusses its relevance to social and emotional learning in global education beyond Ireland.
Clerkin, A. (2018). Filling in the gaps: A theoretical grounding for an education programme for adolescent socioemotional and vocational development in Ireland. Review of Education, 6, 146-179. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3112
The following guide accompanies this article: https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3113. It provides additional context and implications for policy and practice.
Published in: Journal of Early Childhood Research
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Numeracy activities in early childhood have been linked to children’s mathematical performance in subsequent years. However, few studies have examined associations between early numeracy play and children’s subsequent attitudes towards mathematics. This study draws on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 assessment to provide a retrospective snapshot of pre-school numeracy play reported by the parents of 10-year-old children (N = 4560). Most children were found to have engaged frequently in some form of early numeracy activity. However, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds had less regular engagement with numeracy play, while spatial play (e.g. building blocks) was less common among girls. The extent to which children engaged in pre-school numeracy play was significantly associated with greater confidence and (for children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds) liking of mathematics at age 10, controlling for other factors. The results highlight socioeconomic and gendered differences in children’s early activities about which policy-makers, educators and parents should be aware. They also suggest the potential role of numeracy play in fostering positive attitudes towards mathematics, which should be considered amid efforts to increase participation in science, technology, engineering and maths domains.
Clerkin, A. & Gilligan, K. (2018). Pre-school numeracy play as a predictor of children’s attitudes towards mathematics at age 10. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 16 (3), 319-334. DOI: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1476718X18762238
Published in: Educational Psychology
Abstract:
This study identifies student characteristics that predict participation in Transition Year, an optional developmental year (Grade 10) offered midway through secondary education in Ireland. One thousand eighty five students (51% female; mean age = 15.4 years) completed a questionnaire in Grade 9, providing information on demographic, attitudinal and socio-emotional characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify characteristics that predicted students’ choice to take part in Transition Year for the following school year or to skip it. The results point to a number of invisible barriers to participation, which indicate that some students, many of whom expressed some interest in Transition Year, could miss out on potentially positive elements of the extra developmental year. The findings raise issues for teachers and policy-makers regarding the promotion of programmes such as Transition Year and its targeting towards particular groups of students.
Clerkin, A. (2018). Who participates? Predicting student self-selection into a developmental year in secondary education. Educational Psychology, 38 (9), 1083-1105. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1504004
Published in: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the UNESCO Regional Center for Educational Planning
Abstract:
Ireland has participated in several large-scale international assessments in recent years, including TIMSS and PIRLS at primary level and TIMSS, PISA, ICCS and TALIS at post-primary. These assessments (together with complementary national research programmes) have, to varying degrees, been used to identify particular strengths and weaknesses in the Irish education system and to inform the development of educational policy. This paper presents an overview of Ireland’s experience with international assessments. Recent findings show significant improvements in performance on certain indicators, particularly at primary level and among lower-achieving students. However, these studies also show that the performance of higher-achieving students in Ireland is lower than might be expected, and that some weaknesses persist; for example, in students’ ability to demonstrate higher-order mathematical reasoning or problem-solving skills, and in primary students’ science achievement. The response of policymakers to these findings is discussed in light of the utility of participation in international assessments, cautions in interpreting their results appropriately, and the broader issue of what international assessments should and should not be used for.
Clerkin, A. (2017). Using international assessments to inform education policy in Ireland. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the UNESCO Regional Center for Educational Planning. Dubai: Regional Center for Educational Planning. http://www.erc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Clerkin-2017-Using-international-assessments-to-inform-education-policy-in-Ireland.pdf
Published in: Irish Journal of Education
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This article describes the self-reported homework and study behaviours of almost 5500 students from Third Year to Sixth Year in a representative sample of 20 Irish schools. In particular, the studying habits of Fifth Year and Sixth Year students are examined with reference to their previous participation or non-participation in Transition Year, which is intended, in part, to help students to become more self-directed and effective learners. Students who took part in Transition Year are found to be more likely to engage in additional study and to persist with difficult questions in Fifth Year and Sixth Year. Overall, they report spending significantly more time on homework in the years leading up to the Leaving Certificate than their non-participating classmates, after controlling for home background and educational aspirations.
Clerkin, A. (2016). Homework and study behaviours before the Leaving Certificate among Transition Year participants and non-participants. Irish Journal of Education, 41, 5-23. https://www.erc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Clerkin-Final-Vol-41.pdf
Published in: Irish Educational Studies
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The Transition Year (TY) programme has seen large increases in the number of participating schools and students since the 1990s. However, existing documentation of this growth has been intermittent and sometimes inconsistent. This paper documents in detail the changes seen in school provision and student uptake for the 19 years from 1992/1993 to 2010/2011, drawing on data provided by the Department of Education and Skills. Issues considered include the mainstreaming of TY in 1994, cohort participation rates (proportions of junior cycle students progressing to TY), school type and student gender. Particular attention is given to provision and uptake of the programme with regard to students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is examined through the use of both school-level (school participation in schemes aimed at addressing socio-economic disadvantage) and student-level (possession of a medical card) information.
Clerkin, A. (2013). Growth of the ‘Transition Year’ programme, nationally and in schools serving disadvantaged students, 1992-2011. Irish Educational Studies, 32 (2), 197-215. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2013.770663
Published in: Education Policy Analysis Archives
Abstract:
Secondary education in Ireland includes an optional Transition Year (TY) between the junior and senior examination cycles, when students are typically about 15 years old. Transition Year is an innovative programme, unique to Irish education, which is intended as a non-academic year devoted to personal and social development in the absence of examination pressure. Slightly more than half of the eligible student cohort take part in the programme, with the remainder skipping TY and progressing directly to senior education. Qualitative evidence suggests that TY is generally viewed as a positive experience for students, although competing perspectives regard the programme as a luxury that is no longer worth sustaining. This article discusses the development of the programme and its relevance to the Irish education system, reviews previous and related research, and identifies future directions and areas where further attention is warranted.
Clerkin, A. (2012). Personal development in secondary education: The Irish Transition Year. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 20 (38). http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1061
