From policy to practice: embedding global citizenship education in initial teacher education in Ireland

In an increasingly interconnected and globalised world, global citizenship education has gained prominence as a pedagogical framework for understanding global challenges such as climate change, migration and social inequalities. Recognised by UNESCO and reinforced through the Dublin Declaration, global citizenship education aims to foster critical engagement, ethical responsibility and global agency. However, despite its growing policy relevance, the enactment of global citizenship education within initial teacher education lacks standardisation, even within contexts where it is formally institutionalised. Drawing on an empirical research project, this article examines the Irish context as a policy-rich case to explore how global citizenship education is conceptualised and enacted within university-based initial teacher education. The study draws primarily on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with pre-service teachers and teacher educators in an Irish university, supported by document analysis of the wider policy and programme context. Findings indicate that while global citizenship education is relatively well embedded within Irish initial teacher education through national frameworks, its pedagogical enactment remains challenged by tensions between policy intentions and practice, conceptual multiplicity and uneven institutional engagement. This article offers empirical insights into how initial teacher education programmes can move beyond rhetorical commitments and support educators’ agency in addressing global issues in uncertain and interconnected futures.