The Transition Year programme in Ireland. Embracing and resisting a curriculum innovation

Jeffers, Gerry

doi:10.1080/09585176.2011.550788

Cited by 35 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Fifth year is also likely to be a time of stress as this is when students are expected to make important decisions about their future academic and career paths. In contrast, fourth year is seen as a year of transition in which there is an emphasis on promoting personal, social and vocational development (Jeffers, 2011). Unlike other years in school, academia is not the main focus and students are not usually required to take exams.…”

Section: The Irish School Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpersonal relationships and emotional distress in adolescence

Kenny

Dooley

Fitzgerald

2013

Journal of Adolescence

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The aim of this study was to examine positive and negative qualities in adolescents' interpersonal relationships and their relative importance in predicting emotional distress. Participants were 260 students from three schools in the Dublin area (119 girls; 141 boys), aged 12-18 years (M= 15.32, SD= 1.91). Students completed questionnaires assessing qualities in important interpersonal relationships in their lives and emotional distress. Girls reported more positive qualities in their relationships with mothers and best friends than boys. Younger students reported more positive qualities in their relationships with parents than older students. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed high levels of satisfaction in interpersonal relationships were predictive of low levels of emotional distress whereas high levels of criticism and exclusion were predictive of high levels of distress. High levels of support and disclosure were also linked to emotional distress. These findings and their implications are discussed in detail.

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Section: The Irish School Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpersonal relationships and emotional distress in adolescence

Kenny

Dooley

Fitzgerald

2013

Journal of Adolescence

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“…The programme guidelines (Department of Education, ) are clear that TY is not intended to form the first year of a 3‐year examination preparation, but also that TY should nonetheless lay ‘a solid foundation for Leaving Certificate studies’ . Coupled with anxieties expressed by students and parents about falling behind or losing study habits during TY, and pressure on teachers to cover a crowded Leaving Certificate curriculum within 2 years, this means that TY classes are sometimes seen as being at risk of being swamped by examination preparation as a result of being ‘colonised by the values of the [Leaving Certificate] examination and the associated “points system”’ (Jeffers, , p. 66). The extent to which such colonization occurs in practice varies between schools.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A three‐wave longitudinal assessment of socioemotional development in a year‐long school‐based ‘gap year’

Clerkin¹

2019

Brit J of Edu Psychol

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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.

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“…At the school level, Jeffers (2011) points to the tensions faced by the schools choosing to offer Transition Year, which is observed to be "in continual danger of being colonised by [the] values and practices" associated with the examinationdriven Leaving Certificate and the pressure on students to obtain high CAO points. The association between TY participation and Leaving Certificate achievement has proven to be a double-edged sword in this respect, with schools often using such findings as a selling point to reluctant parents whose children are considering taking part in the programme (Jeffers, 2011).…”

Section: Looking Aheadmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second major source of information comes from the work of Jeffers (2007Jeffers ( , 2010Jeffers ( , 2011, who reports observations from six case study schools with "distinctive good practice in their TY programmes" (2007, p. 31). The findings-of students', teachers', and parents' attitudes to the programme and schools' organisation and implementation of the programmeare based on detailed interviews with school principals and Transition Year co-ordinators, focus groups with students and parents, and questionnaire data returned from more than 100 teachers across the six selected schools.…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, progress has been made in documenting and examining Transition Year in recent years (Clerkin, 2012;Jeffers, 2007Jeffers, , 2010Jeffers, , 2011Smyth, Byrne & Hannan, 2004). Although transition programmes and youth development programmes of various design are in operation in other jurisdictions, the Irish Transition Year is unusual in that a full school year is set aside for the programme as opposed to, for example, two classes a month (e.g., Pitre, 2011, in the United States) or delivery outside school (e.g., FYD, 2012, in New Zealand).…”

Section: Figure 1 Pathways Through Irish Secondary Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Personal development in secondary education: the Irish Transition Year

Clerkin

2012

EPAA

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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 participating students. However, 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. Keywords: adolescent development; secondary education; nontraditional education; social development; work experience; Ireland; Transition Year.El desarrollo personal durante la educación secundaria: el año de transición Irlandés Resumen: La enseñanza secundaria en Irlanda incluye un año de transición opcional (TY) entre los ciclos básico y superior, cuando los estudiantes tienen comúnmente alrededor de 15 años de edad. El año de transición es un programa innovador, único en la educación irlandesa, que pretende ser un año no académico, dedicado al desarrollo personal y social sin la presión de exámenes. Un poco más Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 20 No. 38 2 de la mitad de la cohorte de los estudiantes elegibles participaron en el programa, mientras que el resto omitió el año de transición (TY) y avanzó directamente a la educación superior. Los datos cualitativos sugieren que el año de transición (TY) es generalmente visto como una experiencia positiva para los alumnos participantes. Sin embargo, las perspectivas opuestas consideran el programa como un lujo que ya no vale la pena sostener. Este artículo discute el desarrollo del programa y su relevancia en el sistema educativo irlandés, revisa las investigaciones previas y afines, e identifica las futuras direcciones y áreas donde se justifica una mayor atención. Palabras clave: desarrollo adolescente; educación secundaria; educación no tradicional; desarrollo social; experiencia laboral; Irlanda, año de transición (TY). Desenvolvimento pessoal durante o ensino secundário: o ano de transição da IrlandaResumo: O ensino secundário na Irlanda inclui um ano de transição opcional (TY) entre os exames dos ciclos júnior e sénior (duas fases do ensino secundário na Irlanda) , quando os estudantes têm aproximadamente 15 anos de idade. O ano de transição é um modelo inovador, único na educação irlandesa, que pretende ser um ano letivo dedicado ao desenvolvimento pessoal e social, sem a pressão dos exames. Um pouco mais da metade do grupo de alunos elegíveis participou no programa, enquanto o resto não escolheu...

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The Transition Year programme in Ireland. Embracing and resisting a curriculum innovation

Abstract: The Transition Year (TY)

Cited by 35 publications

References 11 publications

Interpersonal relationships and emotional distress in adolescence

Interpersonal relationships and emotional distress in adolescence

A three‐wave longitudinal assessment of socioemotional development in a year‐long school‐based ‘gap year’

Personal development in secondary education: the Irish Transition Year

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