Engaging Young People? Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied

Abstract

Whether to have a comprehensive schooling system or to provide different tracks or curricular programmes has been a central focus of international policy debates on second-level education. The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) was introduced in 1995 as an alternative to the established Leaving Certificate and was designed as a distinct self-contained pre-vocational programme for senior cycle students. Its fundamental goal is to prepare students for the transition from the world of education to that of adult and working life (DES/NCCA, 2004), including further education (DES, z1995). Little is known about the process of curriculum differentiation in an Irish setting and in particular the characteristics of young people who opt for the LCA programme. This study provides a unique opportunity to examine student experiences prior to entering the LCA, their curriculum and learning experiences during the programme, and their post-school outcomes. Adopting a mixed methods approach, this study uses data from a range of sources including the School Leavers’ Survey and the Post-Primary Longitudinal Survey in addition to in-depth qualitative interviews with young people who had participated in LCA. The contribution of both quantitative and qualitative research strategies provides greater insight into the views of LCA students and their experiences of the programme.