Transition Year (TY; Grade 10) is a ‘gap year’ embedded midway through Irish post-primary education.  TY is intended to promote personal development, maturity, social skills, and to prepare students for adult life.  First introduced in the 1970s but rapidly expanding since the 1990s, the programme is now available in most (but not all) post-primary schools.  About two-thirds of the cohort takes part each year, with their non-participating classmates progressing directly to the final two years of senior education. 

Previous research, often interview-based, has found that students, teachers, and parents tend to regard TY as a positive experience for most students.  Participation is reported to enhance students’ sense of maturity, improve relationships with peers and teachers, and develop skills such as time management and the ability to work as part of a team.  However, TY is also noted as being relatively under-researched, despite its status as one of the major innovations in Irish innovation (and its unusual, if not unique, status in global education) (Clerkin, 2012).

No study has previously sought to measure the extent of any differences in student development that might be attributable to TY participation.  This study builds on previous research by gathering quantitative data on a range of psychosocial outcomes, and examining these outcomes longitudinally by comparing changes over time between students who took part in Transition Year and those who did not.  For comparison with previous research an in order to facilitate clearer interpretation of results, students’ subjective views of TY and their reasons for participation or non-participation are also collected.

Clerkin, A. (2012). Personal development in secondary education: The Irish Transition Year. ‎Education Policy Analysis Archives, 20 (38). Retrieved from ‎http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1061/1022.‎