News & Announcements
Bonus Territory: The Shifting Landscape of Higher Level Senior Cycle Mathematics (2010-2024) Report
On Friday May 16th 2025 a report entitled Bonus Territory: The Shifting Landscape of Higher Level Senior Cycle Mathematics (2010-2024) was launched in Mary Immaculate College, Thurles. The report, which was written by School of Education’s Mark Prendergast, along with Dr Páraic Treacy (MIC) and Dr Niamh O’Meara (UL), examines the bonus points initiative from the perspective of students and teachers and looks at the impact that it has had on the uptake of higher level mathematics and students’ mathematical ability.
At the launch event, the authors, Dr Páraic Treacy, Dr Mark Prendergast and Dr Niamh O’Meara commented: “This report is the culmination of six years of research examining the impact of bonus points on Senior Cycle mathematics students and teachers, as well as the wider implications for the education system in Ireland. It is a complex issue which has led to some very interesting findings beyond the surface level effect bonus points has had on participation in Higher Level Senior Cycle mathematics. This report gives us a clearer picture of the totality of the impact of bonus points and outlines evidence-informed action which should be taken in light of these findings."
The report is available at https://epistem.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BPI-National-Report-Final-PDF.pdf