Author: Teja Solar

Call for Proposals to share ‘Artefacts of Learning’ / ‘Exemplars of Practice’

Posted on by Teja Solar

Call for Proposals to share ‘Artefacts of Learning’ / ‘Exemplars of Practice’

The Ubuntu Network is making additional funds available to assembly members to collate, package and share a selection of ‘Artefacts of Learning’ and ‘Exemplars of Practice’ that support the integration of GCE in post-primary initial teacher education.

What are Artefacts of Learning?

‘Artefacts of Learning’ are defined as tangible or observable outputs demonstrating a pre-service teacher’s engagement with GCE. These artefacts serve as evidence of their understanding, skills, and critical reflections. They may include, but not be limited to, written assignments, projects, digital objects, reflective journals, creative products and teaching and learning artefacts.

What are Exemplars of Practice?

 ‘Exemplars of Practice’ are defined as documents/outputs that showcase a teacher educator’s approach to integrating GCE in post-primary ITE. They provide a structured narrative of the curricular approach and pre-service teacher engagement. They may include, but not be limited to, video narratives detailing GCE integration, infographics, teaching/instructional models, student artefacts showcasing learner engagement and reflection.

The final product will demonstrate a selection of pre-service teachers’/teacher educators’ work, and should,

  • Be highly visual and multi-modal,
  • Make effective and appropriate use of ICT e.g. video, MOOC, webpage, blog, photographic archive, graphic representation,
  • Include relevant context to explain how the output relates to provision of GCE in the ITE programme,
  • Have students’ permission to use their work (where applicable)
  • Be completed no later than 30th June 2025.

You may apply for funds of up to €4,000.

Funds may be sought for costs such as payment of staff, creation of digital outputs, desktop publishing, copy-editing, licencing, or for facilitating students’ engagement in the process. Funds may not be used for the purchase of equipment.

Closing date for receipt of applications is March 21st, 2025.

The attached documentation includes a Guidelines document and Call for proposals (including Application Form).

GUIDELINES DOCUMENT
APPLICATION FORM 

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact our Network Research Lead:

joanne.oflaherty@ul.ie

Workshop: Challenging Racial Bias in the Classroom

Posted on by Teja Solar

Workshop: Challenging Racial Bias in the Classroom

We are delighted to team with WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS) to present to you Challenging Racial Bias in the Classroom with Susanna Trifiletti. This is a full day workshop taking place in the De la Salle Retreat Centre in Castletown from 10.30-3.30. Places are limited to 20.

Important Info:

Date: March 6, 2025

Time: 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Location: De La Salle Centre, Castletown, Co. Laois

Workshop Details

This workshop aims to equip educators with practical strategies and tools to address and respond to microaggressions and racial prejudice in the classroom. This interactive session will focus on the following key objectives:

  1. Engaging in case studies and real-life role-play scenarios to practice and refine responses.
  2. Understanding the roots of racial discrimination and systematic racism.
  3. Learning how to tackle microaggressions in the classroom in real-time effectively.
  4. Developing the ability to choose appropriate facilitation stances in different classroom situations.

About the Facilitator:

Susanna Trifiletti is a secondary Geography, CSPE, and Politics and Society teacher. She has worked with WorldWise Global Schools before and Fishamble Theatre Company, developing workshops for students and teachers alike. She is a trained facilitator in intercultural education, anti-bias education, and “Difficult conversations” practice. Susanna brings a practical approach to the workshop. In the last four years, she has provided training for family centres and primary and secondary schools nationwide, supporting educators in fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments.

You can register here

For more information, please click here 

[New Publication] The difficult dynamic of teacher educators as policy actors

Posted on by Teja Solar

New Publication: The difficult dynamic of teacher educators as policy actors

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new research article, The Difficult Dynamic of Teacher Educators as Policy Actors: Considerations for Counter-Conduct, co-authored by Ciarán Ó Gallchóir, Joanne O’Flaherty, Deirdre Hogan, and Orla McCormack.

This timely study examines the challenges faced by teacher educators in the evolving landscape of initial teacher education (ITE), particularly in light of increasing market-driven mandates and political oversight. The authors critically explore the recent requirement for all ITE programmes in Ireland to incorporate a Global Citizenship Education (GCE) perspective.

This publication contributes to ongoing discussions about critical global citizenship education, power relations in education policy, and the evolving role of teacher educators.

📖 Read the full article here


UCD Ubuntu Award for Excellence in GCE

Posted on by Teja Solar

UCD Ubuntu Award for Excellence in GCE

Recipients of the award for excellence in GCE were James Flood (graduate), Kate Nevin (PME 1) and Elizabeth Brophy (PME 2).

This award is offered as part of the Ubuntu – UCD School of Education partnership. These teachers were awarded for excelling in Global Citizenship Education while on School Placement and in their teaching practice, and specifically by using immersive technologies and Artificial Intelligence to explore global issues and appreciate the reality of others. The award was included in the UCD Adventure in Cyberland Awards www.cyberwise.ie held in O’Reilly Hall, UCC on 10.12.24.

Dr Rachel Farrell (UCD)
From left to right: Marelle Rice (UCD), James Flood, Kate Nevin and Deirdre Hogan (Ubuntu Network)

Launch: A Teacher’s handbook on GCE

Posted on by Teja Solar

Launch: A Teacher’s handbook on GCE

Delighted to announce the launch of  A Teacher’s Handbook on Global Citizenship Education in the Post Primary Classroom took place in the Aula Maxima in UCC on Thursday 12.12.24.

This valuable resource, which is Ubuntu and Irish Aid supported, provides 10 lessons on GCE, identity and addressing ‘so called controversial issues’ in the classroom. It honours the important work that educators do in nurturing young global citizens – a most hopeful and ever-pressing responsibility.

 Congratulations to our colleagues and members, Seanin Hoy, Steve O’Brien and Gearoid O’Brien on this wonderful resource.

Available on Amazon bookstore: Here

Available from Oak Tree Press: Here


Assembly Day 2025

Posted on by Teja Solar

ASSEMBLY DAY 2025

Navigating the space between conflict and curiosity:

Exploring controversial issues in GCE

The Ubuntu Network Assembly Event, held in association with the Education Department at Maynooth University, took place on the 15th of January 2025 at Maynooth University campus. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to making this event so special. Your presence, engagement, and enthusiasm were instrumental in creating a meaningful and inspiring gathering. Thank you for being part of this memorable occasion!

Agenda from the day available: Here

Materials from the day:

Using philosophically informed thinking to support dialogue on social justice issues (Meade, 2025)

Using philosophically informed thinking to support dialogue on social justice issues (Meade, 2025)

This output uses philosophy to explore controversial issues in social justice, fostering curiosity, reflection, and compassionate dialogue beyond critical thinking …
More
Challenging racial bias in the classroom (Trifiletti, 2025)

Challenging racial bias in the classroom (Trifiletti, 2025)

This output helps educators identify and address microaggressions and racial prejudice, using real-time strategies, facilitation stances, and role-play …
More
Download Handbook
Assembly Day 2025 Group photo
Assembly Day 2025 Members Group Photo

Exploring controversial issues in an educational setting can be a challenging task for educators. Highly emotive topics such as inequality, racism and climate change can draw upon deeply held beliefs and evoke strong feelings that can make discussions uncomfortable and even prompt defensiveness or disagreement. Learners bring a myriad of cultural, political, and personal backgrounds that shape their perspectives, making it easy for discussions to become polarised and debates to become heated.

The skills required to navigate discomfort and ambiguity in a learning space are essential for an educator (teacher educator and pre-service teacher) of Global Citizenship Education. Global development issues are rarely straightforward – they have multiple contributing factors, influences and stakeholders and no clear-cut answers. To democratically explore such issues requires a learning environment where judgement is suspended and participants can engage in respectful discussion, consider differing viewpoints, and develop skills to form their own reasoned opinions. Positive learning experiences are more likely when discussions are held in a safe space for dialogue, and where all students and educators feel comfortable expressing diverse viewpoints without fear of being “cancelled” or judged, feeling blame, being silenced, getting it wrong, or not knowing enough.

Join us for a day of dialogue on teaching controversial issues where we will consider questions such as:

How do we support pre-service teachers to broach discussions on contentious issues with confidence in the classroom? What pedagogical approaches might be effective when tackling controversial issues associated with GCE? What challenges arise for educators and students in engaging in this work?

What role do the educator’s personal values, worldviews, and positionality play in teaching about emotive topics? How do we address the challenge of educator subjectivity?

Can we support a culture of discussion and sharing of views in school? Does school/organisational culture and scripted curriculum influence what is discussed and more importantly, what is avoided? Does this impact on our capacity to create learning spaces that reflect democratic principles?

How do we reconcile the values/ethos of a school or organisation with free speech and authentic exploration of controversial issues? How do we navigate the unclear boundaries between free speech, responsible speech and so-called political correctness?

What theoretical/conceptual lenses are useful when building a broader understanding of this complex topic?

This event was offered by the Ubuntu Network in association with the Education Department, Maynooth University as part of their New Foundations Research Ireland  ‘Sharing the World’ project.

New Publication Implementing GCE in Post Primary Schools

Posted on by Teja Solar

New Publication Implementing GCE in Post Primary Schools

Congratulations to Ubuntu Members Seanin Hoy, Gearoid O’Brien, and Stephen O’Brien on the recent publication of A Teacher’s Handbook on Global Citizenship Education in the Post-primary Classroom.

This exciting publication is written by teachers for teachers. It seeks to support those new to the profession, as well as those who are already experienced in post-primary school and further education settings. It is designed to sustain these professionals in their important – relational and pedagogical – work with children and young adults.

A Teacher's Handbook to Global Citizenship Education in the Post-primary Classroom: A Practical Guide for Teachers

The book comprises 10 scaffolded lessons, that provide exemplars of how Global Citizenship Education can be taught and learned effectively. The first lesson is centred on exploring the foundational discipline of Global Citizenship Education. Each subsequent lesson focuses on a global theme and on creative ways to critically engage students in their own learning about the world.

These global themes include our own identity; belonging; inter-relationships; stereotypes; migration; seeking asylum; the role of the media.

Available on Amazon bookstore: Here

Available from Oak Tree Press: Here


Ubuntu/IDEA GCE Research Showcase

Posted on by Teja Solar

Global Citizenship Education Research Showcase 2024

We are delighted to team with IDEA to present to you Global Citizenship Education (GCE) Research Showcase 2024 which takes place on Monday 25 November, online, 10.00am -12.30pm.

Research Showcase Details

The aim of this event is to showcase contemporary GCE research. You will be introduced to thought-provoking and engaging inputs and have an opportunity to reflect with fellow participants on the applicability of the concepts discussed to your GCE practice. 

For the purpose of this event, the term research will be taken in its broadest sense, encompassing academic research; action research; documented practice; documented learning; conceptual research articles; case studies etc.

Click here for Schedule

You can register here

For more information on speaker, please see IDEA – Global Citizenship Education Research Showcase 2024

How Art and Design is Shaping Socially Conscious Teachers at NCAD

Posted on by Teja Solar

CASE STUDY

How Art and Design is Shaping Socially Conscious Teachers at NCAD

(2017 – 2024)

Who We Are

Institution: National College of Art and Design (NCAD), a leading art and design university dedicated to fostering creative excellence and social engagement through art education.

Project Leader: Fiona King and Tony Murphy lead the initiative, leveraging their extensive experience in art education to integrate global citizenship principles into the Professional Master of Education (PME) program.

Project Members: Each year, the project team consists of around 20-25 Professional Master of Education (PME) student teachers engaged in some 100 hours of GCE, supported by a cross-disciplinary team of faculty members and external experts from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and educational sectors (including Mark O’ Kelly, Head of Fine Art Painting, NCAD; Dr Helen Mc Allister, Head of Textile Art and Artifacts, NCAD; Dr Audrey Bryan, Associate Professor of Sociology in the School of Human Development, DCU and Tony Daly, 80/20).

What We Did

Our primary goal was to seamlessly integrate Global Citizenship Education (GCE) into the PME curriculum to empower future educators to address global inequalities and advocate for environmental sustainability through art and design.

Project Objectives:

  • To embed Global Citizenship Education (GCE) within the PME curriculum.
  • Equip student teachers with the skills and knowledge to address global inequalities and environmental issues through art and design.
  • Foster a deeper understanding and commitment among student teachers to utilize art as a tool for social justice and advocacy.
  • Develop and implement innovative teaching strategies that integrate GCE principles, focusing on sustainability, human rights, and ethical consumption.

Curricular Approach:

  • Pedagogical Development: Workshops and seminars support the art projects, where educators and experts from various fields introduce the student teachers to complex themes and teaching methodologies.
  • Curriculum Design: The Change Lab serves as the core component of the program, where GCE is embedded into the curriculum through practical, immersive experiences in a gallery setting converted into a dynamic learning environment.
  • Module Development: We introduced specific modules focusing on GCE, such as ‘Art as Social Practice,’ which encourages students to use art as a tool for social change.
  • Collaborative Art Projects: Student teachers collaborate on multi-week projects, creating artworks that reflect critical global issues, such as climate change, inequality, and human rights.

Professional Learning Initiatives:

  • Workshops and Seminars: Complementing the practical projects are a series of workshops and seminars led by experts in GCE, art, and pedagogy, enhancing the theoretical understanding and teaching skills of faculty and students.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

  • Student Feedback: Regular surveys and feedback mechanisms to gauge student engagement and satisfaction.
  • Performance Reviews: Analysis of academic reviews and project evaluations help assess the impact of GCE integration on student learning outcomes.

Outreach/Advocacy:

  • Public Events: Annual public exhibitions of student work to raise awareness about global issues.
  • Community Engagement: Partnerships with local schools and communities to extend the impact of our GCE initiatives beyond the university.
  • Academic Events: Presentations at conferences highlight the project’s innovations and outcomes.

‘Respond Research Create’ Creative notebook from student teachers

‘Respond Research Create’ Creative notebook from student teachers

Respond Research Create Creative Notebook

‘Respond Research Create’ Creative notebook from student teachers

Impact Achieved

(Click + for more)

Student Engagement/Educational Impact: Over 180 PME students have actively participated in the Change Lab, reporting enhanced understanding of global issues and their role as educators in advocating for change.

Example: In AY2023/24 GCE was integrated across the following modules: Global Citizenship Education Module: Change Lab and the Digital Media Module.

Example: The introduction of the “Change Lab” project facilitated PME students to develop and exhibit artworks that address global issues such as sustainability and social justice, culminating in an annual exhibition attended by over 300 educators, students, and community members annually.

We feel really lucky to have had this learning experience. The Change Lab experience has truly been transformative; the consideration of global inequalities has challenged our beliefs and our values both as teachers and as artists.
PME student teacher
The Change Lab experience was very transformational for me; firstly on a personal level I learned a huge deal about these contentious issues. Also, it showed me how I can respond to these issues through the art making process – so it was empowering. Lastly, I think as an educator, this program has really encouraged me and empowered me to look at these issues and to bring them into the classroom. It has also shown me how I can encourage student voice in the classroom around these issues – it’s not about teaching more – it’s about teaching differently.
PME student teacher
The Change Lab becomes a place making event whereby the student teacher explores how their practice as artists and as designers has a social, ethical and cultural dimension. The Lab becomes an immersive collaborative teaching and learning space, a thinking space to conceptualise and experience global citizenship education as an educational process.
Project Leader Fiona King

Example: In collaboration with the project leaders, Fiona King and Tony Murphy artist teachers work collaboratively to compile research relating to their selected issue.

Curricular Innovations: The Change Lab has become a model for integrating GCE into art education, demonstrating how creative disciplines can effectively contribute to educational discourses on global issues. The introduction of GCE-focused modules has been highly successful, with student feedback highlighting the relevance and impact of these courses on their professional and personal development.

Example: In AY2022/23 and AY2023/24 PME students engaged in conceptualising GCE through active learning methodologies including unpacking the Change Lab Brief; discussion of role of reflective practice – Pause… for thought notebook brief; Introducing Global Citizenship Education – Rise, Shine and Connect mind-map; Newtown exercise (with Dr Gerry Jeffers) – building a community/reflecting on group dynamics; Critical visual Literacy workshop – working with imagery in response to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

Example: Student teachers develop comprehensive portfolios that not only display their artistic skills but also their ability to engage with complex global themes. These portfolios often include digital media presentations, art installations, and detailed research projects.

The Change Lab was also a reminder of the range of cross-curricular links that art and design education has and also of our potential as teachers to educate young global citizens.
PME student teacher
An external review from an educational accreditation body highlighted the effectiveness of the curricular innovations at NCAD, noting, “In particular, the panel were impressed by the innovative approach to teaching and learning, especially in the area of sustainable development and global citizenship in the change laboratory on the PME”
Teaching Council Accreditation Panel Review, November, 2023

Community Outreach: Our exhibitions and community projects have reached over 5,000 participants, fostering a broader understanding and engagement with global citizenship themes. The annual exhibitions of student work have successfully engaged a wide audience, including educators, policy makers, and the general public, thus raising awareness and stimulating dialogue on the role of art in social change.

Example: In AY2023/24 NCAD collaborated with colleagues from Dublin City University (DCU) – InterChange: Exploring Climate Justice and the Arts Symposium (May, 2024). As part of this symposium, a workshop titled “The Change Lab at NCAD” was facilitated by Fiona King and Tony Murphy. This workshop, led by four NCAD PME student teachers, Maia, Eduard, Lucy and Anishta, facilitated students to present and discuss examples of their work, including their reflective pause… for thought and research respond create notebooks – to demonstrate the process they engaged in over the duration of the Change Lab and how they map their pedagogical approach onto to the art and design curriculum in secondary school.

Example: Collaborative projects with local schools engaged over 500 schoolchildren in workshops led by PME students, focusing on creating art that reflects social issues. In AY2023/24 Kriti, Jades and James work engaged with the children in Dublin 8, Fatima homework club, and their leader Sue, whose voices and insights about the lack of green spaces to play and grow within their communities are weaved into their mapping of Dublin 8 and the surrounding area (SDG: 3 Good Health and Wellbeing/Sustainable Cities).

We decided we wanted to make activist work which would call on members of the public to make small changes in their lives which would add up to make a big contribution to biodiversity in our city.
PME student teacher
It was like we were put in a pressure cooker with creativity… It’s creating these bridges of communication between yourself and your colleagues, then creating other bridges with your tutors, creating bridges with the whole community. I think this was the first experience that we interacted with the whole community throughout the college
PME student teacher

Recognition: The program has garnered significant recognition, receiving funding and accolades from educational bodies and NGOs (Irish Aid and the National Forum for Teaching and Learning), validating the effectiveness an necessity of our work.

Example: The project received the ‘Innovative Teaching Award’ from an international educational organization in 2021, recognising its effective integration of GCE into art education.

Statistical Outcome: The number of external partnerships with NGOs and educational institutions has doubled since the project’s inception, enhancing the project’s scope and impact.

Since 2008, the Ubuntu Network has supported the National College of Art and Design to integrate their global education program. Students’ engagement with social justice and global education issues through the exhibition shows how transformative this process has been. Students are more socially aware, they are more environmentally conscious, and most importantly as teachers, they show a real passion to bringing this into their teaching.
Ubuntu Project Coordinator Deirdre Hogan

What We Learned

(Click + for more)

Comprehensive Integration: Successful integration of GCE requires careful planning and alignment with existing curricular structures to enhance relevance and applicability.

So working in the Change Lab has definitely given me an opportunity to take this new teacher identity and this artist identity and look at them as more of a partnership instead of separate.
PME student teacher
The Change Lab instils in our student teacher a strong commitment and motivation to teacher for social justice and sustainability through the lens of their practice as artists, researchers and teachers.
Project Leader Fiona King
The work in the National College of Art and Design is a particularly good example of how to embed this perspective. I think that happens because – there is great staff buy-in to the idea that this is not some peripheral activity, not some tick-box exercise – this is a really central part of becoming a teacher in the 21st century – having a perspective of global justice, being very familiar with the sustainable development goals.
Independent Researcher, consultant, writer and lecturer Gerry Jeffers
I think the NCAD project has been really successful in meeting with these students, in helping them to see the importance of these issues. As a funder of the project, and as someone involved within the Ubuntu Network, we see the NCAD project as being really successful, as being really impactful.
Ubuntu Project Coordinator Deirdre Hogan

Community and Collaboration: Building a community of practice among student teachers and faculty enhances learning outcomes. Working with a diverse range of partners has enriched our program, bringing multiple perspectives and expertise that enhance the learning experience. Collaboration encourages sharing of diverse perspectives, which is vital in addressing global issues.

Example: The collaboration between NCAD and local schools through the “Change Lab” project allowed PME students to bring their artwork and GCE-focused lessons into classroom settings, providing real-world teaching experiences. These partnerships not only benefited the student teachers but also enriched the learning environment of the schoolchildren who participated.

The collaborative element of this project challenged our listening skills but I also feel it has bolstered our connection to one another.
PME student teacher

The Importance of Contextual Learning: Integrating GCE within the context of art and design has proven highly effective in engaging students. Art provides a unique medium through which complex global issues can be explored and understood.

Example: The Change Lab projects have been instrumental in demonstrating how art can be used to explore and communicate complex global issues effectively.

It is through their practice as artists and designers that they make sense of and can conceptualise what global citizenship education means to them and this in turn shapes their identity as educators.
Project Leader Fiona King

Flexibility and Adaptation: Adapting our approaches to meet the changing educational
landscape, especially in response to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic,
has been crucial. Moving some exhibitions online allowed us to reach a wider
audience and maintain engagement during difficult times.

Example: Feedback from annual student and faculty surveys led to significant adjustments in the project’s approach, particularly in enhancing collaborative opportunities and refining project evaluation metrics.

What we have seen in the NCAD is, overtime it has become more and more integrated, so now we have a situation where you can say this is sustainable because everyone on the staff has bought into the idea that this is an essential part of initial teacher education.
Independent Researcher, consultant, writer and lecturer Gerry Jeffers
In Ireland, curriculum is changing at an expansive rate, the art and design curriculum in particular has changed at Junior Cycle level, the NCAD project, the pedagogical process that the project refers to is really dovetailing with this new curriculum. The learning from the project can inform curriculum development, the teacher educators involved within the project are informing curriculum development, also being involved with consultation groups – the long term impact of this project is immense.
Ubuntu Project Coordinator Deirdre Hogan
The Change Lab 2024 Event
Student Teacher speaking at The Change Lab 2024

This case study serves as a testament to NCAD’s commitment to transforming art education by integrating a global citizenship perspective, preparing a new generation of educators who are equipped to use their creative skills to advocate for a just and sustainable world.

UCC’s Global Citizenship Education Inspires Teachers to Lead Change

Posted on by Teja Solar

CASE STUDY

UCC’s Global Citizenship Education Inspires Teachers to Lead Change

(2017 – 2024)

Who We Are

Institution: School of Education, University College Cork (UCC) has systematically embraced Global Citizenship Education (GCE) to enhance educational practices and student outcomes.

Project Leaders:

  • Dr. Stephen O’Brien: The principal leader for DE/GCE projects, Dr. O’Brien has spearheaded DE/GCE projects with a vision to deeply embed global citizenship and sustainable education practices within teacher education. His leadership has been pivotal in aligning the project objectives with UCC’s strategic educational goals and global educational standards.
  • Dr. Gertrude Cotter: Co-leader on many of the GCE projects, Dr. Cotter has been instrumental in operationalising the integration of GCE into the curriculum. Her contributions include developing specific modules, organizing exhibitions, and enhancing public engagement through media.
  • Ms.Seánín Hoy: Collaborating closely with Dr. O’Brien, Ms. Hoy has brought innovative pedagogical approaches to the projects. Her focus on creating interactive and student-centred learning environments has significantly enriched the GCE curriculum.

Project Members: Each year, the project team consists of approximately 130 student teachers engaged in some 50 hours of GCE supported by a dynamic team of educators and numerous other faculty members The AURORA and Ubuntu networks have also collaborated extensively. This team’s interdisciplinary expertise has enriched GCE initiatives, broadening their impact across various educational sectors.

Dr Stephen O’Brien (middle) alongside student teachers, participating in a workshop

What We Did

The primary aim was to integrate Development Education (DE)/GCE into the fabric of teacher education, ensuring that future educators are well-prepared to teach and embody global citizenship principles. The objectives evolved to include more extensive pedagogical strategies and digital integration, especially in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Project Objectives:

  • Integration of DE/GCE into Curriculum: The primary objective was to seamlessly integrate DE and GCE principles into the core modules of the Professional Master of Education (PME) program. This included embedding these principles into existing courses like ‘Curriculum and Assessment’ and developing new modules specifically dedicated to DE/GCE. Given the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, a significant objective was the creation and implementation of online and blended learning options to continue DE/GCE education without interruption. This included piloting new online modules and adapting traditional in-person activities to virtual formats.
  • Enhancement of Teacher Capacities: Building the capacities of pre-service and in-service teachers to understand and deliver DE/GCE content effectively in their classrooms was a major focus. This objective aimed at ensuring that teachers are not only aware of global citizenship concepts but are also equipped to actively engage students in these discussions in their respective classrooms.
  • Professional Development and Learning Initiatives: Another objective was to provide ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, focusing on DE/GCE content, pedagogical strategies, and assessment methods. These included a series of workshops, seminars, and continuous professional development (CPD) for staff, focusing on DE theories, practices, and integration into existing curricula.
  • Research, Monitoring and Evaluation: The project’s impact was consistently monitored through student engagement metrics, feedback mechanisms, and the development of digital content, which allowed for a broader evaluation of learning outcomes. Conducting research to assess the effectiveness of DE/GCE integration and using this data to continually refine and improve the programs was a critical objective. This included evaluating the impact on student learning outcomes, teacher preparedness, and overall institutional adoption of GCE principles.
  • Advocacy and Outreach: Promoting DE/GCE principles beyond the university setting through advocacy, outreach programs, and collaborations with local and international partners was also a fundamental objective. Engaging the educational community and the public through workshops, exhibitions, and public lectures was also key to spreading the reach and impact of DE/GCE initiatives. The project featured extensive outreach efforts, including exhibitions at the Glucksman Gallery, interactive websites, and participation in community radio programs. These initiatives
    significantly increased public engagement and awareness of DE/GCE themes

Impact Achieved

(Click + for more)

Student Engagement/Educational Impact: Over the duration of the DE/GCE projects, UCC successfully prepared hundreds of teacher candidates to integrate global citizenship concepts into their teaching. Surveys and feedback from these educators indicated increased competence in their ability to engage students with complex global issues. DE/GCE principles were incorporated into multiple core modules within the PME program, reaching all enrolled students. This systematic integration ensures that every student teacher at the School of Education, UCC receives foundational DE/GCE training, which they carry into their professional teaching careers.

Example: In collaboration with Galway One World Centre, each year we invite all PME students to participate in The Global Teacher Award (GTA). The GTA is a validated teacher-training program currently being made available across Ireland and in 3 EU partner-countries. It aims to raise the profile and quality of DE/GCE provision in the European Union through the creation of a standardised DE/GCE training and award scheme for teachers.

Example: PME students who participate in The Global Teacher Award (n = ~ 15 annually) develop three to five lesson plans on a DE/GCE theme and record it in their portfolios of learning.

I started the Global Teacher Award thinking it was about environmental change. I came out thinking about climate justice and also tax, trade and debt justice.
Student teacher
The impact Id Est has had on the development of my personal and professional identity as a teacher has been truly transformative in terms of my thinking, in my approach to teaching, in my world view and in my values and beliefs for present and future education.
UCC Quality Audit, 2020: Seánín Hoy, former PME student and Project Leader
We know from ongoing discussions with students that Development Education is important to them.  They (foundationally) understand that teaching is as much about nurturing identity (for oneself and others) as it is about facilitating informed truths.  With the DE work we do with student teachers we notice that they come to appreciate that teachers have an important (and wider) social and civic purpose and that their work has local and global significance.
Project Leader Dr Steven O’Brien
GCE has strengthened me as an educator in my use of active learning methods and in my flexibility and provided me with more vision because the more I practice, the more confident I am to let go and be more creative and innovative which is truly empowering. Reading literature in GCE, engaging with other professionals in GCE, exploring GCE with student teachers and school students has certainly had an impact on my values and my attitude in the sense that I see my role as a political obligation and participant in a collaborative move for justice.
Student Teacher
The Panel considered the submission for the UCC programmes to be exemplary. UCC have a demonstrably strong commitment to global citizenship, education for sustainable development and social justice across the college in general and within the school of education in particular.
Teaching Council Accreditation Review Panel, May 2023
In their post-lesson reflections, student teachers commented on their new understanding of DE/GCE, in their opportunities to invite DE/GCE into their respective disciplines and in the challenges that they encountered through this facilitation. They also commented that, in spite of such challenges, they felt more confident and more equipped to approach the teaching and learning of DE/GCE issues.
Project Leader Dr Steven O’Brien

Public Outreach and Engagement: Public exhibitions, interactive websites, and community radio involvement led to a greater public understanding of DE/GCE themes. Students engaged in diverse projects ranging from local community initiatives to international educational programs, which allowed them to apply DE/GCE concepts practically. The quality and creativity of these projects were showcased in annual university exhibitions and online platforms, receiving positive community and academic feedback.

Example: Events like the ‘We Make the Road by Walking’ exhibition attracted diverse audiences, enhancing community engagement with the university’s DE/GCE efforts. This exhibition at the Glucksman Art Gallery, UCC featured artwork carried out by student teachers with their pupils in their classrooms.  Seven schools in Cork participated in total. In addition, one of the school groups were interviewed on community radio on Dr Gertrude Cotter’s Global Hub program (Community Radio Youghal 104FM).

Example: Co-development of a DE/GCE Transition Year curriculum module outline that involved wider consultation with PME 1 students, their pupils and other stakeholders (notably a TY class in one urban school setting).

Facilitating workshops on GCE as well as designing and implementing a new module for Transition Year students has been profoundly impactful on me as an educator and researcher.
Student teacher
The participants’ experience of learning has a powerful influence on their own implementation and motivation for teaching and learning therefore it was imperative that the course authentically reflected the values of Global Citizenship Education, values such  as ‘Empathy’ and avoiding traditional narratives of sympathy.
Project Leader Dr Steven O’Brien

Capacity Building: Ongoing professional development workshops and seminars have equipped UCC faculty and partner educators with advanced skills in DE/GCE, ensuring the sustainability of project initiatives. These efforts have fostered a robust community of practice committed to continuous improvement in DE/GCE.

Example: Development of key DE/GCE audio-visual resources: ‘Introducing Development Education and Global Citizenship Education (GCE): A guide for student teachers’; and ‘Student teachers’ experiences of doing Development and Global Citizenship Education in the Post-Primary Classroom’. We also produced an in-service video for all UCC staff, entitled ‘Developing a ‘sustainable’ curriculum: Some key conceptual foundations’.

Example: Development of a dedicated website for the ‘Id Est’ Project which features the radio shows, the Id Est Exhibitions. The website was launched to highlight DE/GCE work with the staff at the School of Education and encourage further integration of DE/GCE into the PME program.

Quantitative data: During AY2021/22 and AY2022/23 some 30 School of Education Staff engaged with professional learning in the areas of GCE philosophy, methodologies and practices, facilitated by the project team.

In the workshops they [UCC faculty] commented on new learning, ‘unlearning’ and ‘relearning’.
Project Leader Dr Steven O’Brien

Research and Evaluation: Comprehensive evaluations involving external reviewers from the Ubuntu Network have validated the effectiveness of the DE/GCE projects, highlighting significant advances in teacher preparedness and student outcomes. Ongoing research initiatives associated with the project have contributed to the academic literature on DE/GCE, with several papers published on the effectiveness of DE integration in teacher education.

Example: O’Brien, S., & Cotter, G. (2018). ‘Critical Researchers ‘Of and For Our Times’: Exploring Student Teachers’ Use of Critical Multicultural and Development Education Frameworks in their Professional Research Papers (PRPs)’, Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Vol. 26, Spring,  pp. 74-104.

Example: GCE Video 1: Hoy, S., & O’Brien, S. (2022). ‘Introducing Development and Global Citizenship Education: A Guide for Teachers’. Video production in conjunction with Chroma Films, Dec 1, 2022.

Example: GCE Video 2:  Donnelly, V., Hoy, S., & O’Brien, S. (2023). ‘Student teachers’ experiences of doing Development and Global Citizenship Education in the post-primary classroom’. Video production in conjunction with Chroma Films, June 1, 2023

Student teachers were challenged and rewarded by their experiences with GCE. In the workshops, they commented on new learning, ‘unlearning’ and ‘relearning’. In their post-lesson reflections, student teachers commented on their new understanding of DE/GCE, in their opportunities to invite DE/GCE into their respective disciplines and in the challenges that they encountered through this facilitation.
Project Leader Dr Steven O’Brien

Student GCE outputs

Student GCE outputs

Student GCE outputs

Student GCE outputs

Vicky Donnelly leads a GCE workshop with the UCC Praxis Working Group 

What We Learned

(Click + for more)

Sustainability of Initiatives: Long-term sustainability requires ongoing commitment, resources, and institutional support. The experience has underscored the necessity of embedding DE/GCE deeply within the curriculum and school policies to ensure lasting impact.

DE/GCE is of particular importance to me and I am committed to seeing teaching in another way.
Student teacher
It is important to note too that the deep learning which all participants (teachers and students alike) are invited to engage in, is a long process and requires constant evaluation and reflection and patience with reservation of judgement as individuals learn at different levels and paces.
Project Leader Dr Steven O’Brien
Overall the visceral feeling of creating an artefact can bring student teachers in touch with more profound and different understandings of their work in the classrooms.  The student teachers had to see, feel, think and hear differently and in so doing I gained new insights.
Project Leader Dr Gertrude Cotter

Community and Collaboration: Building a community of practice among educators and students has been invaluable. Collaborative efforts, both locally and internationally, have enriched the learning environment and broadened the scope of DE/GCE.

Meet, exchange ideas and collaborate with like-minded peers.
Student teacher
It made me think more about education as a human right, everyone deserves to learn.
Post-Primary student refection
I would like this project to encourage others to learn more about access to education around the world, not everyone is able to go to school, that is not fair.
Post-Primary student refection
The project reinforced the value of collaboration and inclusion in teaching and learning, working together to examine the real world we live in.
UCC Quality Audit, 2020: Seánín Hoy, former PME student and Project Leader

Reflection and Adaptation: The transition to online learning during the pandemic taught us the importance of flexibility and the potential of digital platforms to sustain educational continuity and innovation.

Creativity is very important in this critical and cultural work, being intrinsically motivated to create lessons and units of learning based on real world events and experiences and my research is very helpful in terms of learning from others and best practices, seeing how they can be adapted to potentially suit other learning environments.
Student Teacher
Student teachers were challenged and rewarded by their experiences with GCE. In the workshops they commented on new learning, ‘unlearning’ and ‘relearning’. In their post-lesson reflections, student teachers commented on their new understanding of DE/GCE, in their opportunities to invite DE/GCE into their respective disciplines and in the challenges that they encountered through this facilitation.
Project Leader Dr Steven O’Brien
Teaching through the lens of DGCE takes planning, preparation, commitment and a degree of humility to relinquish control.  It takes patience to allow multiple perspectives and multiple disagreements to occur, it takes a willingness to stand by your own morals and principles to say to colleagues, school management, parents and others that these conversations are not just worth having, they are essential.
UCC Quality Audit, 2020: Seánín Hoy, former PME student and Project Leader

This case study aims to showcase the transformative power of Development Education / Global Citizenship Education within the School of Education, University College Cork, highlighting the sustained efforts and innovations that have significantly shaped the educational landscape, influencing both policy and practice on local and global scales.