STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THEIR PARTICIPATION IN PUBLICLY MANAGED SECOND LEVEL SCHOOLS IN IRELAND: The importance of student-teacher relationships

ABSTRACT

Drawing on questionnaire (n = 697) and focus group (n = 18) data from 18 publicly managed schools in Ireland, the current study explores the views of second-year students towards their participation in school life. Questionnaire results indicate that students, in general, showed a strong level of agreement towards their participation in aspects of school life. Subsequent focus groups highlighted the passive role students tend to play in classroom and school life and the minimum power they exert within schools. Between school differences emerged. Teacher–student relationship was an important difference between schools and is presented as a possible starting point for enhancing levels of student participation in school life in publicly managed schools in Ireland.

KEYWORDS:

• Student participation
• student responsibility
• second-level schooling
• teacher-student relationships

Acknowledgement

This project was funded by Education and Training Board Ireland (ETBI) and six ETB’s throughout Ireland.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. VECs were restructured into ETBS under the 2013 Education and Training Board Act (Government of Ireland, 2013). The ETB sector has 265 second-level schools throughout Ireland, representing some 37% of second-level provision.

2. TY is an optional year between the junior and senior cycle that focuses on the holistic, personal and social development of students.

3. Junior cycle refers to lower second-level education. Students are approximately 12-15 years of age. Senior cycle refers to upper second-level education. Students are approximately 16-18 years of age. The Senior cycle ends with a high stake externally set assessment that determines university entry.

4. The broader study focused on schools (teachers, students, leaders) views on the “characteristic spirit” of ETB schools. Please see authors (2018) for an overview of the concept of characteristic spirit.

5. The size of these groups varied. In some instances, schools invited one class to participate, in other schools two class groups were invited.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Orla McCormack

Orla McCormack is a Lecturer at the School of Education, University of Limerick. Her research interests focus on initial teacher education, particularly reflective practice and curriculum studies, as well as the values underpinning publicly managed schooling.

Joanne O’Flaherty

Joanne O’Flaherty is a Lecturer at the School of Education, University of Limerick. Joanne has researched and published in the areas of the moral role of the teacher and social justice education.

Mags Liddy

Mags Liddy is senior tutor for the MA in International Development at Maynooth University. Recently she was awarded the Nano Nagle Newman Fellowship in Education at University College Dublin. This research project aims to assess the needs of female teachers in Presentation schools in India and Pakistan with regard to capacity building for leadership in education.