TY - JOUR
T1 - School effects and subject choice
T2 - The uptake of scientific subjects in Ireland
AU - Smyth, Emer
AU - Hannan, Carmel
PY - 2006/9/1
Y1 - 2006/9/1
N2 - Studies of subject take-up within secondary education have tended to focus on student characteristics and have rarely attempted to take account of the broad variety of ways, formal and informal, in which schools can constrain or facilitate particular subject choices. In contrast, this article explores both the school and student factors shaping the take-up of Biology, Physics, and Chemistry at upper secondary level. The analyses draw on detailed information on almost 4,000 students in 100 secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Schools are found to differ in the proportion of students taking science subjects, even controlling for the profile of students. School structures at both lower and upper secondary levels are found to play a role in shaping the choices made by students regarding science.
AB - Studies of subject take-up within secondary education have tended to focus on student characteristics and have rarely attempted to take account of the broad variety of ways, formal and informal, in which schools can constrain or facilitate particular subject choices. In contrast, this article explores both the school and student factors shaping the take-up of Biology, Physics, and Chemistry at upper secondary level. The analyses draw on detailed information on almost 4,000 students in 100 secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Schools are found to differ in the proportion of students taking science subjects, even controlling for the profile of students. School structures at both lower and upper secondary levels are found to play a role in shaping the choices made by students regarding science.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33748526485&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09243450600616168
DO - 10.1080/09243450600616168
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33748526485
SN - 0924-3453
VL - 17
SP - 303
EP - 327
JO - School Effectiveness and School Improvement
JF - School Effectiveness and School Improvement
IS - 3
ER -