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RTÉ News
a day ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Do Irish students feel schools are helping them master computer skills?
Analysis: How young people use technology will determine their futures so schools, teachers, parents and families all have a role to play By Míde Griffin, Trinity College Dublin We all know teens on TikTok are good at technology, but there's more to digital skills than swiping like a pro on a smartphone. Children must be actively taught how to use computers, for studying, working, and navigating the internet safely. But do young people in Ireland believe school is helping them learn those skills or not? Recent research uses data from the Growing Up in Ireland study to answer this. This long-running research interviewed 9-year-olds, their parents, teachers and principals in 2007. They followed up again at ages 13 and 17. The study shows that three-in-four 17-year-olds felt that secondary school was at least some help in learning computer skills. This isn't bad, but it does leave one-in-four students who believe school was "no help" in this regard. Given the importance of these 21st century competencies for young peoples' futures, it's important to know who is saying that school helps digital skills development and who says it doesn't. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, calls for more computing skills to be taught in Irish schools Computer facilities at school Perhaps students' views on school computer learning depends on their school's computer facilities? However, the study finds that the quantity and quality of computer facilities in schools didn't seem to matter, though students who were taking computer studies aged 13 were significantly more likely to say that school had helped them learn. Having dedicated computer classes unsurprisingly helps pupils build these critical skills. What about technology outside of school? Maybe computer whizzkids at home are bringing those skills into the classroom and others get left behind? The study shows those with no home computer aged 9 were more likely to believe school had provided computer skills aged 17, compared to those who had a home computer. It also matters how they used it. Using the internet for 'fun' made children less positive about school computer learning, but using it for 'school projects' made them more positive about how much they built these skills at school. On the other hand, using the internet too much is probably not helpful. Children who had symptoms of ' excessive internet use ' were less likely to say school helped them learn computer skills, which could be because of behavioural problems impacting learning attitudes. From RTÉ Radio 1's News At One in 2021, Dr Vivienne Patterson from the HEA on a new report, which shows that computing courses have the highest drop out rate at third-level Does family backgound matter? Family background certainly matters. Students from less educated and lower socio-economic status families were more positive in their perception that school provides computer skills. This is good because previous research shows that students from worse-off backgrounds often report lower computer confidence than those who are better-off. Other research suggests that parents with less education and lower incomes may struggle to manage their children's online activity. The positive finding in this study could be because students who have fewer technology and/or other resources at home benefit more from computer learning in school. Together with other results in the study, this seems to suggest that the Irish education system has not done a bad job in terms of reducing the "digital divide" between more and less privileged students. 17-year-olds who had gone to schools serving a population with lower-socio economic status ("DEIS" schools) were no less likely to say school provided computer skills, and there was no difference between private (fee-charging) schools and public ones either. DEIS schools get additional resources, including for technology, which seems to be helping to level the playing field. What about the type of school? Students in vocational and community schools were significantly more likely to say school has contributed to their computer learning. This makes sense as the Leaving Cert Applied and the Leaving Cert Vocational Programme focus more on practical and career-oriented skills, although differences between school types have lessened over time. Interestingly, school gender mix appears to matter for how students feel about learning computer skills. Girls in girls' schools were more likely to say school helped them learn about computers compared to boys in boys' schools or those in mixed schools. This is on top of the fact that girls were more positive in general about school's benefit in computer skills. This also accounts for how positive a person is about school's role in teaching other skills, and their personality traits. From RTÉ Archives, Dympna Moroney reports for RTÉ News in 2002 on a secondary school in Limerick making information technology a key part of students' studies. So why might girls, especially those in girls' schools, say they benefit more from school in their computer skills development? Previous research shows girls have more positive attitudes to computer learning than boys, but girls underestimate their actual skill. It could be that girls in girls' schools experience less " stereotype threat". That is, girls mightn't be as impacted by negative gender stereotypes about computers when there are no boys around. Or it might be that girls have different aspirations or expectations around computer learning due to societal gender norms. More research could look at why this is happening and encourage more girls into tech, the highest paid sector in Ireland on average. Children don't lick computer skills up off the ground - or off the touchscreen for that matter A drawback of the study is the data on 17-year-olds is from 2015, already a decade ago. Technology changes quickly and traditional surveys are designed for quality, not speed. A different approach might be needed to keep up with young people's views today. Children don't lick computer skills up off the ground - or off the touchscreen for that matter. Mere access to technology, either at school or at home, only takes them so far. How young people use technology will determine their futures, so school and teachers, parents and families, and the norms we create as a society all play a role in shaping that future.
Irish Independent
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Classic books to encourage a love of reading in children before they become lost to the internet
Evergreens deliver for strong stories and memorable figures Earlier this month The New Yorker published a feature called Is Reading Dead? examining the impact technology, especially AI, will have on our consumption of books. Negative, in case you were wondering. In their Strategic Plan for 2024-2028, Children's Books Ireland listed figures from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study which showed that 19pc of 13-year-olds say they never read and this number increases to 53pc by the age of 17.
The Journal
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Around one in six children do not live with their fathers full-time, report finds
JUST OVER HALF of children report getting on 'very well' with their father at age 9, as research finds that 18% of children at that age do not live with their fathers full-time. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has published its scoping study examining the profiles of fathers who do not live with their children full-time, termed in the report as 'non-resident fathers', and their relationships with their children. It comes as NGOs and separated parents have emphasised the importance of including non-resident fathers in research studies. The report used data from the long-running Growing Up in Ireland study. The study uses data from two separate cohorts – a cohort from 1998, who were aged 9 at the first interview in 2007, and from 2008, who were aged 9 months in the first wave in 2008. Advertisement The report found that 14% of children aged between 9 months and 5-years-old did not live with their fathers, rising to 18% by the age of 9. Half of non-resident fathers see their babies or toddlers several times a week, mothers reported, while families with fathers that did not live with their children tended to have younger mothers with lower levels of education, likely to live in urban areas. Around a third of children aged between 5 and 9 see their fathers at least a few times a week. Just over a quarter of non-resident fathers have little to no contact with their children. 'Although the non-resident fathers surveyed tend to be actively involved in their children's lives, around half of them would like more frequent contact with their child,' the report said. Co-author of the report Emer Smyth said that research needs to provide a 'comprehensive' picture of the range of influences on children's lives, including their parents who may not live with them. 'A significant proportion of children – around one-in-six – do not live with their father full-time, so not including their father gives only an incomplete picture of their lives. Parents can differ in their perceptions of the father-child relationship, so capturing both perspectives is important,' she said. Some 38% of mothers separated from their child's father receive regular payments in the case where the child primarily lives with their mother. Another 11% receive payments when needed for a particular purpose. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
04-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Over a quarter of fathers who do not live with their children have ‘little to no contact with them'
While 14pc of children between nine months and five years do not live full-time with their fathers, rising to 18pc by nine years of age, according to new research published by the Economic and Social Research Institution (ESRI). The report uses Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) data to look at the profile of fathers not living full-time with their children, termed 'non-resident fathers'. The GUI study, produced in partnership with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE), has included both resident and non-resident fathers in almost all waves of the study. The primary focus of the report is on how best to involve non-resident fathers in future waves of the GUI birth cohort, however it provides interesting insights on non-resident fathers and their relationships with their children. Families with a non-resident father have much younger mothers, who tend to have lower levels of education and are more likely to live in urban areas. Households that experienced parental separation during the study were more disadvantaged in profile, with this group of fathers having lower educational levels, higher unemployment and greater financial difficulties. Half of non-resident fathers see their babies or toddlers several times a week, according to mothers' reports. Contact is less frequent as children transition to school, though around a third of five and nine-year-olds see their fathers at least a few times a week. Although the non-resident fathers surveyed tend to be actively involved in their children's lives, around half of them would like more frequent contact. Parental accounts of the father's frequency of contact differ, with mothers reporting lower levels of contact than fathers do. Over a third (38pc) of separated mothers receive regular payments from the non-resident father, while 11pc receive payments on an ad hoc basis. From the child's perspective, over half (53pc) report getting on 'very well' with their father at age nine, indicating the importance of their father in their lives. Birth and child cohort studies internationally have varied in the extent to which they include the perspectives of resident fathers, with even greater variation found in the inclusion of non-resident fathers. Studies that do include non-resident fathers have yielded important insights into their influence on child outcomes and the importance of the resources. These are financial, social and emotional resources – that fathers provide for their children. However, many studies have experienced challenges in including non-resident fathers. Both NGOs and separated parents strongly emphasised the importance of including non-resident parents in research, with interviewees highlighting the active involvement of fathers in their children's lives and the consequent impact on child development. Emer Smyth, co-author of the report, said a significant proportion of children – around one-in-six – do not live with their father full-time. "So not including their father gives only an incomplete picture of their lives,' she said. 'Parents can differ in their perceptions of the father-child relationship, so capturing both perspectives is important.'
Irish Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Study finds 14% of young children do not live full-time with fathers
Half of non-resident fathers see their babies and toddlers several times a week, with contact becoming less frequent as children transition to school, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has found. The study has prompted calls from the ESRI to include non-resident fathers in research on children's lives to provide a 'comprehensive picture'. Using data from the longitudinal study Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) which tracks different cohorts of children, households that experienced parental separation during the study were found to be more disadvantaged. Fathers in particular tended to have lower educational levels, higher levels of unemployment and greater financial difficulties, while mothers tended to be younger in age, had lower levels of education and were more likely to live in urban areas. READ MORE Some 14 per cent of children aged between nine months and five years old do not live full-time with their fathers, rising to 18 per cent by nine years of age. While just more than a quarter of non-resident fathers have little to no contact with their children at each age examined, half see their babies or toddlers several times a week, according to reports from mothers. The study found contact is less frequent as children make the transition to school, with about a third of children aged five and nine seeing their fathers at least a few times each week. Parental accounts of the father's frequency of contact differed, with mothers reporting lower levels than fathers. More than a third (38 per cent) of separated mothers receive regular payments from the non-resident father, while 11 per cent receive payments on 'an ad hoc basis', according to the study. The ESRI said studies that include non-resident fathers have yielded 'important insights' into their influence on child outcomes and the importance of the resources that they provide whether financial, social or emotional. Emer Smyth, co-author of the report, said about one-in-six children do not live with their father full-time, 'so not including their father gives only an incomplete picture of their lives'. 'Parents can differ in their perceptions of the father-child relationship, so capturing both perspectives is important,' Ms Smyth said. However, many studies have experienced challenges in including non-resident fathers, the ESRI said. In Ireland, the amount of mothers willing to give researchers permission to contact the father fell from about a third when their child was nine months and three years old to just more than a quarter when they were aged nine, often corresponding with the frequency of the father's contact. [ Modern dads: 'Being in the room doesn't mean much if you're on your phone' Opens in new window ] Some 35 per cent of the fathers who were contacted when their child was three completed the survey, falling to 14 per cent by the age of nine, with the ESRI saying those in more frequent contact with their child are more likely to participate.
