Growing Up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study of Children. Report 5 2017

Smyth, Emer (2017) Growing Up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study of Children. Report 5 2017. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

The transition to second-level education has been identified as a major landmark in young people’s lives, with moving to a new school involving exposure to new teachers and ways of learning, as well as a new peer group. This report draws on Growing Up in Ireland data collected at 13 years of age to explore the factors shaping young people’s experiences of the transition period. It adopts a multidimensional approach, examining the extent of transition difficulties (as reported by parents) and changes in academic self-image – that is, confidence as a learner, from the point of view of young people themselves. Teenagers’ engagement in school is examined in terms of their attitudes to school and to school subjects as well as their attendance levels. Specifically, the report addresses three main research questions: 1. To what extent are young people’s social relationships – with their parents, peers and teachers – associated with their adjustment to second-level education? 2. Is young people’s engagement with school at age 13 related to their earlier experiences at primary level? 3. To what extent are the ease of transition and consequent engagement with school associated with experiences of second-level education?

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