Strengthening Global Citizenship Education in Universities

We are proud to present our new collaborative research report, Supporting Pre-service Post-Primary Teachers' Knowledge of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in the Classroom, conducted by Initial Teacher Education (ITE) lecturers from the University of Galway (UG) and Atlantic Technological University (ATU), in partnership with educators at Financial Justice Ireland (FJI) and WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS).

FJI and WWGS worked with the research team to design and deliver a short GCE workshop programme for post-primary student teachers studying  Mathematics (UG) and Visual Arts (ATU), with a comparison group of Wood Technology student teachers at ATU Letterfrack also taking part. 

FJI and WWGS designed and delivered two interactive workshops per group to support SDG Target 4.7. The sessions aimed to help future teachers develop the knowledge, critical thinking, and confidence to bring GCE and ESD into their classrooms. They introduced GCE, explored critical approaches, examined root causes of global poverty and inequality, and modelled active teaching methods throughout. 

Student engagement was high across all workshops. Participants worked enthusiastically in small groups, joined lively discussions and reflections, and responded positively to the participatory approach. Many described learning about global tax, trade, and debt systems as an "eye-opener" and reflected on the importance of moving beyond charity-based responses towards solidarity. Linking Mathematics and Art student teachers highlighted the value of cross-subject learning, as participants explored how concepts like interdependence could be taught in different ways. 

Our research found that collaborative, hands-on learning strengthened participants' knowledge, values, and understanding of how to teach GCE through building the skills and confidence needed to bring SDG Target 4.7 into practice. It also highlighted the need for ongoing support to help teachers apply these ideas. For Financial Justice Ireland, the project offered a valuable opportunity to contribute expertise on economic justice, structural inequality, critical GCE, and participatory learning to teacher education. The report, Supporting Pre-service Post-Primary Teachers' Knowledge of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in the Classroom, was launched at the ESAI Conference at the University of Galway in May 2026. The findings underscore the value of long-term collaboration between universities and civil society organisations like FJI and WWGS in embedding GCE in classrooms. 

In doing so, the project strengthened a new generation of teachers' capacity to help students engage critically with global challenges and advance SDG Target 4.7. Research Ireland and Irish Aid supported the research.