Sitting their first-ever state exam at age 18: the impact of COVID-19 on the 2023 Leaving Certificate cohort in DEIS in Ireland

ABSTRACT This paper examines the unique challenges faced by the 2023 Leaving Certificate cohort in Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) in Ireland due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on the significant impact of the pandemic on students who will be sitting their first-ever state examination at the age of 18. These students, often from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, have had to navigate unprecedented disruptions and adjustments to their education, presenting distinct obstacles to their academic success and overall well-being. Fourteen interviews were carried out, involving guidance counsellors, subject teachers and Principals. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted and the identified themes that emerged from the analysis include lack of motivation, naivety around the Leaving Certificate Examination, poor well-being and skewed expectations.


Introduction
This paper is based on the data gathered at the post-intervention stage of a major research project, entitled Power 2 Progress, which involves an initiative to enhance retention and participation, academic performance, and expands the educational and career aspirations of senior cycle students in schools that serve socio-economically disadvantaged communities.The whole initiative is student-centred, and the core focus is providing free in-school, out-of-hours tuition for senior cycle students for two years in preparation for their Leaving Certificate examination, which is the Irish examination taken at the end of their second-level education.Students also undertake visits to the host university and the opportunity to participate in workshops and career talks, including site visits to the industry partner which has provided some of the funding for the intervention.The main objective of the research is to help bridge the gap with students who are from more affluent communities and ensure equitable access to education and associated supports (Fenwick, Kinsella, and Harford 2022).
For this cohort of leaving certificate students, the CoVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruptions to their learning environments, with the transition from traditional classroom settings to remote or hybrid learning models.Students in DEIS may face additional challenges, such as limited access to technology, inadequate study spaces at home or unstable internet connections.These factors have adversely affected their ability to engage effectively in their studies and maintain consistent academic progress.
The pandemic has also impacted the mental health of these (as indeed many) students and well-being, heightened their stress levels and created uncertainty surrounding the examination process (Schwartz et al. 2021).These factors, combined with social isolation and limited support networks, have taken a toll on their overall well-being.The sudden shift from physical school attendance, which involved regular interaction with peers and teachers to online learning and quarantining at home, has proven a big adjustment, mirroring international research (Magson et al. 2021 ).

DEIS (Delivering equality of opportunity in schools)
In 2005, the Irish government introduced the DEIS scheme as a response to educational disadvantage.This scheme aimed to address the issue by implementing a policy of positive discrimination, where additional resources were allocated to schools that catered to a high number of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (DES (Department of Education and Science) 2005; Weir 2016).The eligibility of schools to participate in the scheme was determined through an independent standardized system based on a deprivation index.This index considered various factors such as employment status, education levels, single parenthood, overcrowding and dependency rates.Currently, the DEIS scheme includes 658 primary and 194 post-primary schools, although it has brought about some improvements, there are concerns about its comprehensiveness and adequacy of resources (Fleming, Harford, and Hyland 2022;Harford, Hyland, and Fleming 2023).
Critics argue that the DEIS scheme has a two-tier nature and fails to fully address educational disadvantage.It has been described as linear and narrow as it does not account for all children living in consistent poverty, not all of whom attend DEIS schools (Fleming and Harford 2023;Children's Rights Alliance 2020;Social Justice Ireland 2019).While evidence suggests that the DEIS scheme has provided certain benefits, it has also been criticized for reinforcing the existing hierarchy within the education system and leading to the segregation of schools.Data from 2018/2019 show a significant disparity in access to higher education, with an average of 4.9 students from disadvantaged areas for every 10 students from affluent areas (HEA (Higher Education Authority) 2021).Moreover, the same data indicate that only a fewer students from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds were able to pursue prestigious courses with high entry requirements, such as law, medicine, pharmacy and dentistry (HEA (Higher Education Authority) 2021).
This issue is not exclusive to Ireland, as similar patterns of educational disadvantage can be observed internationally.Despite some progress since the introduction of the DEIS scheme, educational disadvantage is still primarily seen as a school-based problem, lacking recognition and response at a policy level regarding its deep-rooted connection to broader economic inequalities in Irish society (Fleming andHarford 2023, Chesters andWatson 2013;McCowan and Bertolin 2020).

COVID-19
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 triggered a global response, with schools around the world shutting down to curb the spread of the virus (Harford 2021;Van Lancker and Parolin 2020;Quinn, McGilloway, and Burke 2021).This unprecedented measure affected a staggering 1.6 billion students across nearly 200 countries (UN 2020).In Ireland, the initial wave of the pandemic necessitated extensive school closures, with close to one million children and young people experiencing educational disruption.During this period, both students and teachers had to adapt to new methods of remote teaching and learning (Burke and Dempsey 2020;Cullinane and Montacute 2020;Mohan et al. 2020;Quinn, McGilloway, and Burke 2021).This study focuses on student's that were in their 3rd 2 year when the pandemic hit and they were due to sit the Junior Certificate in June 2020, but due to school closures they were awarded the 'State Certificate of Calculated Grades'.
Pre-COVID-19 there was only a small body of research that focused on health-related disasters and their stress responses, mainly associated with floods, fires, hurricanes and natural disasters.The COVID-19 pandemic differs from these disasters as the impact was widespread and unprecedented (Schwartz et al. 2021;Sprang and Silman 2013).Based on the most recent literature, many authors have reported students had an increased level of stress and anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020 lockdown (Xie et al. 2020;Orgiles et al. 2021).Korzinski (2020) found that 71% of Canadian adolescents reported being bored, 54% missed their friends, 57% disliked their current social isolation and 60% were academically unmotivated.For adolescents in particular, this time in their lives is very critical for the development of social relationships and typically there is a shift from spending time with parents to time spent with peers, all of which was exacerbated by the pandemic (Steinberg 2005;Meuwese, Cillessen, and Güroğlu 2017;Schwartz et al. 2021;Bond et al. 2007).
Data from the Growing Up in Ireland Study demonstrate that children and young people in Ireland who have documented inequalities pre-COVID-19 were already more disadvantaged than their affluent peers (Growing Up in Ireland Study Team 2019; Darmody, Smyth, and Russell 2020).Students from disadvantaged backgrounds typically experience greater disengagement from school, lower academic performance, social isolation, unfamiliar virtual environments, daily routine, more socio-emotional difficulties, poorer health, poorer diet, a loss of critical professional services beyond education (i.e.mental health services, child safety) and lower levels of physical activity (Darmody, Smyth, and Russell 2020;Prime, Wade, and Browne 2020;Loades et al. 2020;UNESCO 2020;Golberstein, Wen, and Miller 2020;Sahlberg 2020;Flynn et al. 2021 ).Darmody, Smyth, and Russell (2020) stress that these inequalities have been further exacerbated because of the pandemic, with well-being and mental health being most adversely impacted.
Technology was a major tool for students during COVID-19; however, when the pandemic necessitated school closures, many students from low socioeconomic backgrounds were significantly disenfranchised as they struggled to access education in the absence of the necessary digital infrastructure.As a result, they reported increased levels of stress, less collaboration with their peers and a sense of isolation (Bray et al. 2020;Chadwick and McLoughlin 2021).

Adjustments to the Leaving Certificate examinations 2023
The Minister of Education, Norma Foley, issued a statement in September 2022 about the 2023 Leaving Certificate modifications as a result of the impacts of COVID-19: The level of adjustment will be the same as that announced in August 2021 but updated as relevant.These adjustments will play to student strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice for students in the examinations.(DoE 2022) For the Leaving Certificate Established (LCE), Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) examinations, the minister confirmed there was no change in the duration of the written examinations with the caveat that additional choice would be incorporated into the written examinations (DoE 2022).Another change was that for subjects where the State Examinations Commission (SEC) issues project briefs during the 2022/2023 school year, the intention was to issue these at least four weeks earlier than normal (DoE 2022).

The study
The Power 2 Progress (P2P) intervention provides senior cycle students within 16 DEIS schools with additional tuition in two of their chosen subjects to enhance the students' educational and career ambitions as well as their overall school experience.The tuition is provided mainly by student teachers and in some cases by newly qualified teachers.The research design employs a mixed-methods approach, involving questionnaires with students, tutors, industry partner liaisons, focus group interviews with tutors and industry partner liaisons and individual interviews with parents and key school personnel.The data collected for this paper report only on the post-intervention findings from the interviews with guidance counsellors, subject teachers and school principals.The discussions around COVID-19 and the Leaving Certificate Examination emerged as a dominant theme in all interviews.These interviews took place before the Leaving Certificate Examinations took place.A follow-up study is planned once the Leaving Certificate results have been released.

Theoretical context
The theoretical framework underpinning this study which served as the foundation for its conceptualization and design is the bio-ecological theory of human development (Bronfenbrenner and Morris 1998).To clarify, both the holistic and ecological perspectives relate to the interaction of the individual, which in this case is the Power2Progress students participating in the intervention and how they try to overcome barriers they face in accessing their education.This paper is reporting on only one aspect of the whole data collection.Additional papers are planned that will capture student voices.

Methodology
After the two-year intervention, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with participating schools.A total of fourteen interviews were carried out, involving guidance counsellors, subject teachers and principals.The interviews consisted of 18 predetermined questions, supplemented by additional unstructured inquiries to gain deeper insights into the participants' beliefs, thoughts, perceptions and experiences.The duration of the interviews varied between 20 and 50 min, depending on the richness of the participants' responses.To ensure accuracy and detail, the interviews were recorded using a digital voice recorder.Subsequently, the recordings were transcribed using software compliant with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).Any identifying information regarding schools, students, tutors or school staff was removed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality.A reflexive thematic analysis approach, following the steps outlined by Braun and Clarke (2019), was employed to analyse the collected data.The process began with familiarization with the data, followed by the generation and definition of codes.This paper specifically focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cohort of leaving certificate students in DEIS schools for the year 2023, encompassing both participants and non-participants of the Power2Progress initiative.The identified themes that emerged from the analysis include Lack of motivation, Naivety around the Leaving Certificate exam, Poor Well-being and Skewed expectations and hold valuable insights into the impact of COVID-19 on the leaving certificate students in DEIS schools, shedding light on their challenges and experiences during this unprecedented time.

Findings
The analysis of the interview data revealed four prominent themes that encapsulate the experiences of the leaving certificate students in DEIS schools.These themes are as follows: Theme 1: Lack of motivation This theme reflects the students' reduced drive and enthusiasm towards their academic pursuits.The impact of COVID-19 has resulted in a decline in their motivation levels, affecting their engagement and commitment to their studies.This theme highlights how different this cohort of students has experienced their last three most important years of school compared to previous year groups.This cohort of students was in the third year when COVID-19 first impacted them, moving on into a transition year 3 with further closures impacting them.One guidance counsellor captured the impact of a largely online transition year as follows: Guidance Counsellor 4: The transition year they had was all online.So that was just nonexistent.No activities.They came into their fifth year.Following on from that fourth year they were really unmotivated last year.They were very flat.They just they were very apathetic.
Another guidance counsellor described how this cohort of students proceeded on into the fifth year lacking the kind of motivation levels that one would normally expect of senior cycle students: Guidance counsellor 7: The whole of the fifth year it was a slog.And losing the structure and the routine of school and then the boundaries of school, it kind of became an open field with Covid-19.After the lockdowns they found it very hard to get back into the structure of it and within the structure of the system and the exams and study.
The challenges of the early stages of the fifth year and how these impacted motivation levels were further articulated by yet another guidance counsellor: Guidance counsellor 2: But these are a really demotivated group because obviously these students really went through lockdown.These 6th years wouldn't have done a Junior Cert so that's another thing that's going to knock the results.
This point was echoed in the following comment by another guidance counsellor who highlights how school closures have had a big impact on the students' commitment to school, as evidenced by their attendance patterns: Guidance counsellor 3: The impact of them being out of school had got into a mode of nonattendance for a lot of them.

Theme 2: Naivety around the Leaving Certificate Examination
The second theme, Naivety around the Leaving Certificate Examination, permeated the interviews, with all interviewees commenting on the significance of not having sat a formal junior cycle state examination.The absence of this foundational experience created a unique set of challenges for these students as they entered their leaving certificate journey.Challenges experienced included understanding the structure and expectations of the leaving certificate examination.Additionally, not having sat the junior certificate examination resulted in a limited understanding of effective study techniques, time management strategies and exam-specific skills.One guidance counsellor captured these challenges as follows: Guidance counsellor 7: I suppose that the junior cycle makes you more resilient and also they create an awareness and even being able to imagine what the room's going to look like.There's none of that.So we keep having to say to them every day the phones, you can't bring them in and you'll be on separate desks and there'll be the clock.So it's trying to sort of help them visualise it.
Another guidance counsellor described the contrasting experience for those students who had had the formal experience of a state examination as follows: Guidance Counsellor 1: We've had to prep them so much into the fact we won't be there and, lots of our students you know generally speaking in normal times, we'd have to go and ring around and go and collect them from houses and stuff on the mornings of the exams and the mocks terrified them in a way that normally it would be motivational for some too, but it actually did the complete opposite.It was the first, I suppose, challenge to them.
Other guidance counsellors and principals commented on the diverse range of ways the lack of experience with a formal state examination impacted this cohort of students: Principal 3: I think every year group has been affected in different ways, but this group have been impacted most because, you know, not going through to the milestone of a public exam like somebody said to one of the teachers there, I didn't know we had to use a number in the leaving cert.
The students' lack of preparedness for what was required to undertake a state examination was noted by several respondents: Guidance counsellor 11: Yes definitely we even noticed that the mocks, you could see that they were really really unprepared, nervous and just little things about bringing their bags into the exam centre, phones in pockets and not having the equipment for exams.It's just basic stuff.So we actually had the management meeting about our leaving certs and junior certs today to explain all of this because the from teachers that were supervising the mocks was that they were really, really unprepared and more nervous.

Theme 3: Poor well-being
The next theme that occurred in the reflective thematic analysis was the impact COVID-19 had on the students' sense of well-being.Students' well-being during exam periods is often adversely impacted by stress and anxiety levels.COVID-19 accentuated these levels, however, such that students were already commencing senior cycle with heightened levels of anxiety and a greater prevalence of mental health conditions: One principal described the difference between this cohort of students and the current transition-year students as follows: Principal 2: The damage is long term.There's no doubt about it.Just talking to the fourth year today, like this year's fourth year, had a great transition year.They had a musical theatre and like a trip away, they had all kinds of day trips and stuff like that.Where this year's leaving certs and this year's 5th year didn't have that.I think this year's leaving cert didn't have a transition year.Transition here is very important though.While they did have a transition year and we did our best, like there were very few face to face events, there were very few trips, so there's no doubt about it that they have been affected.There have been a lot of kids who have been completely transformed by the transition year by having all of the opportunities that they've had, confidence has grown.The way they engage with the school has improved.They have better self-esteem, they have a better sense of themselves and who they are and what they want to be and all of that.
Other guidance counsellors and principals commented on the residual impact of the pandemic, in particular in the area of online learning: Guidance counsellor 6: The students had a very negative opinion of what online teaching was like and learning, I still have them coming to me saying that they feel very flat and they feel very unmotivated and stuff like that.
Diminishing confidence levels and a greater propensity to withdraw emerged from the data: Guidance counsellor 9: I think what happened with Covid has had a real impact on their academics and their approach.And then, the socialisation and who they are as people and how confident they feel.And I feel like I'm dealing with more students with anxiety, more students with worry, more students who are withdrawn and not really engaged in the group, I think, feel like all those things are being created out of this pandemic that we went through.
The difference between the previous year's groups was further highlighted by a principal who commented on the prevalence of withdrawal among students: Principal 2: there's no doubt that they say that they were very damaged and that they were left fairly bereft by the Covid experience and, having a long time catching up to, and they've also become a lot more kind of home-based and solitary Theme 4: Skewed expectations The fourth and final theme that emerged from the data was the impact the pandemic has had on this cohort of students' expectations regarding their performance in the Leaving Certificate Examination.Guidance counsellors repeatedly commented on how disadvantaged they believed this cohort of students was because of their experience of during the pandemic: Guidance counsellor 5: I think they are approaching the exams as if they weren't happening.There are still students who failed their mocks and they say I still want to go to UCD.In a way they think that the exams aren't going to happen because they haven't had to do exams before.
Or if it does happen, it's going to be fine and we're going to get good results, they don't seem to be able to realise that the mocks are actually like a picture of what happens.
Guidance counsellor 11: And, I suppose the mocks have prepared them a little bit, but I still feel I think they're kind of blind-sighted as to what's ahead of them.And even the more we talk about the exams, the preparation, the timetable of study.I think they're definitely disadvantaged in that area that they didn't have the junior cycle to prepare them and equip them for it, but I don't think they realise it until they actually come in on the first day and sit the first exam to be like, okay, the realisation of what this is actually like.Because yeah, I think they're at a disadvantage really.
Concerns around students' work ethic were also observed: Guidance counsellor 9: I think their work ethic is lower than it has been before.I think they are just not in the practice of the amount of time and effort they have to put in.And I found that as a result it's taken them longer to build towards where they should be.And I think combined with that, they have a skewed expectation because they didn't do formal exams before.So they have a double whammy of big expectations, but then not willing to put in the huge amount of time that it takes.That's not everybody.But I've noticed that across the board.
Similarly, a breakdown in relationships between students and school personnel which often manifested as resistance was also articulated: Guidance counsellor 10: I definitely think there was a mass attitude and almost an expectation that they should be doing higher levels in multiple subjects.Not having that junior cert experience I think gave them the ability to go on with kind of blinkers on, not really having to face the reality and we would see this, but it has been more widespread this year where, you know, there's been a lot of resistance say to teachers' recommendations to do ordinary level.It's been difficult for them, for even teachers because many students haven't taken the recommendation and are still ploughing ahead even after mock exams.But I think not having that junior cert experience kind of fooled themselves into thinking everyone always says, oh you do better on the real thing than the mocks.
This, in turn, impacted their thinking in relation to possible career choices and their confidence in choosing the right career path for them: Guidance counsellor 3: A lot of them were very concerned when they were filling in application forms as well, not having the physical experience, they had a cert, but they also weren't able to say, well, in that subject, I've got whatever in the junior cert.And I think it's like preparing for anything, they didn't have a trial run at the Junior Cert.

Discussion
The disruptions caused by the pandemic, such as school closures and the absence of a structured learning environment, have resulted in a marked decrease in these students' drive and enthusiasm towards their academic pursuits.This lack of motivation and apathy towards learning has become a concerning issue for educators.Muhsin et al. (2019) demonstrates that motivation has an impact on learning satisfaction and other factors such as attitudes, facilities and learning environment.Goh et al. (2017) further emphasizes the importance of maintaining student motivation towards their learning the importance of providing students with the requisite support to perform multiple tasks in the teaching process, including receiving feedback on their performance.Clearly, the pandemic and the related long-term absences from face-to-face teaching impacted the capacity to provide students with the level of feedback they required to improve and gain confidence in their subject areas.
A second theme that emerged was the students' naivety around the Leaving Certificate examination.Due to the unprecedented circumstances, these students lacked experience in state examinations.This lack of experience posed significant challenges as they struggled to understand the examination structure, expectations , effective study techniques, time management and examination-specific skills.Furthermore, the absence of a Junior Certificate examination further compounded their limited preparation, leaving them at a disadvantage when it came to navigating the demands of the Leaving Certificate.We know that even pre-COVID-19, examinations, especially highstakes ones, have a significant impact on young people's emotional well-being and can be very stressful for students without the necessary support mentioned above (Connor 2003;Hall et al. 2004;Aherne 2001;Banks and Smyth 2015).Garton and Pratt (1995) demonstrates that stress levels are related to global self-esteem and academic selfimage, as such that when a student has a negative view of themselves, they have typically experienced more frequent stressful events.Those students who feel a sense of connectedness to their school report lower stress levels and fewer feelings of depression and anxiety (Resnick et al. 1997).West and Sweeting (2003) also found that those students who have poor time management and lack time in the lead-up period to high-stakes examinations experience higher levels of anxiety.They often suffer from day-to-day stressors which include the pressure to cover the course content, fear of falling behind or not having enough time before the examination to revise (Putwain 2005).Even pre-COVID-19, the leaving certificate was considered as a 'critical juncture or fateful moment' in students' lives which carries untold importance in their future (Giddens 1991).
The third theme that emerged from the data revolves around the impact of COVID-19 on students' overall well-being.This research, and indeed a growing body of research in the Irish context, demonstrates that the pandemic has had a significant effect on students' mental health, confidence and sense of isolation (Darmody, Smyth, and Russell 2020;Prime, Wade, and Browne 2020;Loades et al. 2020;UNESCO 2020;Golberstein, Wen, and Miller 2020;Sahlberg 2020;Flynn et al. 2021 ).The loss of socialization opportunities, extracurricular activities and support structures, such as transition year, has taken a toll on their emotional and psychological well-being (Loades et al. 2020;Golberstein, Wen, and Miller 2020;Sahlberg 2020;Flynn et al. 2021 ).Anxiety and withdrawal have become more prevalent, reflecting the challenges they face in coping with the changes brought about by the pandemic.This finding mirrors the large body of research both nationally and internationally regarding the impact COVID-19 has had on children and young people's well-being, Holmes et al. (2020) note that the impact on mental health and well-being is anticipated to be profound and long-lasting, the mental health burden associated with COVID-19 surpassing anything previously experienced (Sahlberg 2020).As such the challenges to mental health and well-being in schools in the aftermath of COVID-19 will be far-reaching (O' Connor et al. 2021 ;Lee 2020).
Finally, the theme of Skewed expectations arising out the students' lack of experience with the Junior Certificate Examination, was a dominant thread across the data.This absence was found to blur their understanding and expectations of their academic performance.It resulted in students having unrealistic expectations, struggling to recognize their academic abilities accurately, and finding it challenging to make appropriate subjectlevel choices.As a result, many were ill-prepared for the rigour and demands of the Leaving Certificate examination, further adding to their academic challenges.Smyth, Banks, and Calvert (2011) argue that the Junior Cert and mock results often shape students' opinions regarding what subject level to take for the Leaving Certificate Examination.This finding chimes with this earlier research, demonstrating the key role sitting the Junior Certificate Examination plays in the preparation for the Leaving Certificate Examination.

Conclusion
This article has provided important data on the additional challenges the 2023 leaving certificate students from DEIS schools have faced having not sat the Junior Certificate Examination.The four themes generated from the data highlight the multifaceted and complex impact of COVID-19 on the students' education.The full extent of this impact will, of course, not be fully understood until after the Leaving Certificate Examinations and indeed beyond that as this cohort of students choose their post-Leaving Certificate pathways.In September 2024 the final data collection of the P2P students' results and career progressions will be collected and compared with the pre-, mid-and postintervention data collection phases.It is hoped that this research will bring new understandings at both a policy and practice level of how students actually experience educational disadvantage.

Notes
1.The DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) scheme is a policy initiative of the Department of Education to tackle educational disadvantage introduced in 2005.The scheme provides additional, targeted resources to schools experiencing high levels of disadvantage.2. Third year-students are aged 14-15 years old and within this school year they typically complete the Junior Certificate Examination which is the equivalent to GCSE in the UK.

Transition Year (also called TY) is a one-year programme between Junior Cycle and Senior
Cycle.It is designed to act as a bridge between the two by helping the transition or change from the more dependent learning of the Junior Cycle to the more independent self-directed learning required for the Senior Cycle.