Academic research and publication are important dimensions of the Praxis Project at University College Cork (UCC). Our scholarly work explores Global Citizenship and Development Education (GCDE), Global Justice Education (GJE), critical pedagogy, higher education, community engagement, social justice and transformative educational practice.
The publications presented here include research emerging directly from the Praxis Project, alongside related scholarship by Praxis Academic Coordinator Dr Gertrude Cotter and colleagues. Together, they contribute to debates about the role of education in addressing inequality, challenging injustice, promoting global solidarity and connecting critical reflection with action for social change.
This page brings together journal articles, academic book chapters and book reviews. Where available, links are provided to the full publications. Praxis research reports and educational resources can be found separately on our Research and Resources pages.
1. Journal Articles and Perspectives
These publications examine Global Justice Education through research, critical analysis and reflection on educational practice. They address the integration of GCDE across higher education, community-linked learning, student activism, critical pedagogy and the historical and political foundations of Development Education.
2026
Camp Saoirse and Direct Action as Radical Pedagogy
Cotter, G. (2026). ‘Camp Saoirse and Direct Action as Radical Pedagogy’. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Issue 42, Spring, pp. 69–91.
This article examines the 2024 Palestine solidarity encampment at University College Cork as a space of radical pedagogy. Drawing on student experiences and critical educational theory, it explores direct action as a form of transformative learning through which students develop critical consciousness, democratic participation, solidarity and collective agency.
2023
All Aboard: Charting a Community-Linked Course in Development Education
Cotter, G. (2023). ‘All Aboard: Charting a Community-Linked Course in Development Education’. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Issue 37, Autumn, pp. 72–89.
Based on research into community-linked learning in higher education, this article explores how collaboration between university students, educators and community partners can deepen critical engagement with Development Education. It considers the potential of participatory, community-based approaches to connect local and global issues and support meaningful action for social change.
2022
Cotter, G., Bonenfant, Y., Butler, J., et al. (2022). ‘Creating a Community of Praxis: Integrating Global Citizenship and Development Education across Campus at University College Cork’. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, 14(2), pp. 15–26.
This collaborative article presents findings from the first stage of the Praxis Project’s research into integrating Global Citizenship and Development Education across University College Cork. Drawing on the experiences of staff from a wide range of disciplines, it explores the opportunities, challenges and transformative potential of creating a university-wide community of praxis.
Co-authored with UCC colleagues across disciplines. The linked article includes the full author list. Open access.
2018
O’Brien, S. and 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’. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Issue 26, Spring, pp. 74–104.
This research investigates how student teachers engage with critical multicultural and Development Education frameworks in their professional research. It considers the contribution of critical inquiry, social justice perspectives and transformative educational methodologies to teacher education and professional practice.
Nailing Our Development Education Flag to the Mast and Flying It High
Cotter, G. (2018). ‘Nailing Our Development Education Flag to the Mast and Flying It High’. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Issue 27, Autumn, pp. 127–141.
This perspective article examines the historical and political foundations of Development Education in Ireland and the debates surrounding its terminology and identity. It argues for preserving the field’s commitment to critical analysis, structural change, human rights and social justice, while resisting approaches that depoliticise its transformative purpose.
2. Book Chapters
These contributions explore questions of migration, asylum, social inclusion, racism and human rights. They reflect a longstanding commitment to connecting academic research with the experiences of communities and with wider struggles for social justice.
2020
Beyond Ribbon Cutting: A Personal Reflection
Cotter, G. (2020). ‘Beyond Ribbon Cutting: A Personal Reflection’. In O’Riordan, J. and FitzGibbon, M. (eds.), Direct Provision: Asylum, the Academy and Activism. Oxford: Peter Lang.
This chapter offers a personal and critical reflection on activism, solidarity and engagement with people seeking asylum in Ireland. It forms part of an edited collection examining the experiences, structures and injustices associated with Ireland’s Direct Provision system and the role of academic and community activism in challenging them.
The link opens the publisher’s book page, including its contents.
2015
Parenting in a Multicultural Society: Migrants and Their Experiences of Parenting in Ireland
Cotter, G. and Kolawole, O. (2015). ‘Parenting in a Multicultural Society: Migrants and Their Experiences of Parenting in Ireland’. In Learning on the Job: Parenting in Modern Ireland. Oak Tree Press.
This chapter explores the experiences of migrant parents in Ireland, highlighting questions of cultural identity, belonging, integration and the challenges of parenting in a multicultural society. It contributes to wider debates about migration, diversity and the importance of understanding families’ experiences within changing social contexts.
The link provides details of the edited book.
3. Book Reviews
Book reviews provide an opportunity to engage critically with new scholarship, examine emerging arguments and contribute to ongoing debates within Global Citizenship and Development Education, Global Justice Education and related fields.
2026
Education for Social Change: Perspectives on Global Learning
Cotter, G. (2026). Review of Douglas Bourn, Education for Social Change: Perspectives on Global Learning (2nd edition, 2024). Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Issue 43, Autumn, pp. 211–217.
This review critically examines Bourn’s exploration of education as a vehicle for social transformation. It considers the book’s treatment of global learning, peace, sustainability, social justice and transformative pedagogy, while raising questions about the possibilities and limitations of decolonial and structural approaches to educational change.
Global Education in Ireland: Critical Histories and Future Directions
Cotter, G. (2026). Review of Dillon, E., Gaynor, N., McCann, G. and McCloskey, S. (eds.), Global Education in Ireland: Critical Histories and Future Directions (2024). Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Issue 42, Spring, pp. 299–304.
This review considers the historical development, political identity and future direction of Global Education in Ireland. It highlights the contributions of educators, activists and civil society to the field and examines continuing debates around justice, power, critical pedagogy and the transformative potential of education.
For further information about the research underpinning these publications, see Research at Praxis.
Additional publications and research outputs by Dr Gertrude Cotter can be explored through her UCC Research Profile.