By engaging with the material at a deeper level, students become better and
more subtle readers, drawing meaning out of new material and constructing their
own responses. As Stella Cottrell says, they will learn to read between the lines, see
behind surfaces, and identify false or unfair assumptions. They will consequently
produce better critical analyses of new material—or exam questions.
The practice of reading and writing critically and analytically, the habit of asking
and finding answers, and the consequent depth of engagement, is the hallmark of
the active classroom. It provides the rich context that typically enables students to
retain much more of the course material than students engaged in passive reception
and rote memorization.
Assessment
Irish teachers and parents are very fond of the Leaving Certificate. It has been
our gold standard for educational achievement at second level for almost a century.
And therein lies the problem: a lot has changed since 1924 when the Leaving
Certificate was first introduced. Consequently, it is now required to do what it was
never designed to do—to measure students’ suitability for third-level study.
When the Leaving Certificate examination was first offered in 1925, only a small
minority of students graduated to universities, and very few working-class students
stayed in school to Leaving Certificate Level. The Leaving Certificate consequently
functioned as an entry-level qualification for traditionally middle-class occupations—
it was designed to measure general education, to demonstrate how well students
follow instruction, and to indicate how well they work within the system.
That model is no longer fit for purpose. Almost a century after the Leaving
Certificate was introduced, the world it serves has changed immeasurably, and that
changed world demands a changed Leaving Certificate.
Demographics demand change.
The requirements of third-level education demand change
Current pedagogical models demand change.
Demographics demand change. There is an ongoing increase in the level of
Leaving Certificate participation and a concomitant increase in the numbers of
students continuing on to higher/further education. Consequently, the role of the
secondary school has changed radically: it must not only complete the students’
general education but also prepare students for third-level study.
The requirements of third-level education demand change. Students need to
learn the skills required to succeed at third level—finding new material through
research, assessing that new material critically and analytically, and presenting
well-reasoned responses.