Emer Smyth 
Students’ Experiences and Perspectives on Secondary Education 
Institutions, Transitions and Policy

This book explores the experiences of young people as they move through the Irish secondary educational system. Drawing on a rich study which combines survey data with in-depth interviews with students, it addresses the key facets of schooling which influence young people’s experiences. With chapters organised thematically, including ability grouping, school climate and the impact of high stakes examinations, the central dimensions of school structure and process is explored. Placing young people’s voices centre stage, it explores how they respond to the school context and make decisions that will profoundly affect their future. This book contrasts different types of school settings and examines how gender and social class play out at the school level.

Table of Content

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Structuring Student Experience.- Chapter 3. Educational Decision-making.- Chapter 4. School Climate.- Chapter 5. The Democratic Climate of the School.- Chapter 6. Ability Grouping.- Chapter 7. Teaching, Learning and Assessment.- Chapter 8. Conclusions.

About the author

Emer Smyth is Research Professor, and Head of the Social Research Division, at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Ireland. She is also Adjunct Professor at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. She has published widely on school effects and student experiences, and recently co-edited
Religious Education in a Multicultural Europe.