This research looks at the young peoples’ learning and skills development during their last two years in upper secondary school. 48 students across four settings took part in in-depth interviews at two stages in their experience. Interviews were carried out after five months experiencing teaching and learning in upper secondary school and again after one year five months with the same group of students in four settings. Their experiences and attitudes were compared over this period and the teaching and learning experiences tracked. The research sought to look at the effect of high-stakes examinations on the student experience and on teacher practices as described by the students. This research sought to examine students’ perspectives on learning and the occurrence of an emerging instrumentality and to seek to uncover the dominant influences on students’ attitudes to, and beliefs about learning.

The Leaving Certificate examination is a very high stakes test, which acts as the gateway to third level education, training and employment. Recent research on students’ experience of senior cycle education in Ireland has highlighted the dominance of the state exam on teaching and learning. It has described the experience of an inflexible, overcrowded curriculum, with a narrow range of assessment activity and without adequate time for engagement with deeper learning, with an emphasis on rote learning at the expense of skills development (ESRI 2010).  Au contends that high-stake tests such as the Leaving Certificate are essentially controlling what knowledge is taught, the form in which it is taught, and how it is taught (Au 2010, p3). Ryan and Weinstein go so far as to say that high-stake testing can produce unintended negative long-term consequences (2009). The ability to self-direct, to think critically, to communicate, to innovate and to adapt were just some of the competencies that have been identified as being absent in upper secondary education, but vital for this stage of education and for successful transition to third level (NCCA 2011).  

The link between teaching and learning is not a straight forward one. What makes a ‘good’ teacher is very context bound. Teaching affects learning directly not just by opening up a body of knowledge to the learner but also by how the teacher scaffolds and models the learning process. Teaching also influences learning in many indirect ways in attitudes to learning, attitudes to knowledge and motivation and interest in learning. Students bring their own cultural scripts to learning situations and are not innocent bystanders in the process and can despite the teaching experience choose to pursue the kind of learning which is awarded by the assessment system. This research aims to add to the knowledge in this area.

Au, W. (2010). The Idiocy of Policy: The Anti-Democratic Curriculum of High-Stakes Testing. Critical Education. 1(1)1-16. Dumont, H., Istance. D, & Benavides., F. (2010). The Nature of learning: Using research to Inspire Practice. OECD NCCA (2011). From Transaction to Transition: Outcomes of the Conference on the Transition from Second to Third-Level Education in Ireland. Dublin:NCCA Patton, M, Q. (1987). How to use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Patton, M, Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Ryan, R.M., & Weinstein, N. (2009). Undermining quality teaching and learning: A self-determination theory perspective on high-stakes testing. Theory and Research in Education 7(2) 224-233 Smyth, E., Banks, J, & Calvert, E. (2011). From Leaving Certificate to Leaving School. Dublin:ESRI