Community Education Research
Community Education
AONTAS conducts research on the role, impact, and value of community education across the island of Ireland.
Our research explores how community education supports learners and communities, responds to social inequality, and contributes to inclusion, participation, and lifelong learning.
Working with learners, practitioners, members, and community partners, we gather evidence that informs advocacy, strengthens the sector, and supports policy and practice development.
Community education is a distinct and essential part of the adult learning landscape in Ireland.
Rooted in equality, social justice, and collective action, it creates accessible and inclusive learning opportunities for people who may face barriers to participation in education.
Our Research
Our research examines the lived experience of adult learners and the wider impact of community education across communities and society.
This includes research on:
- social inequality and access to education
- inclusion and participation
- learner wellbeing and progression
- social transformation and community development
- anti-racism, inclusion, and democratic participation
- learner voice and participatory practice
Through reports, collaborative projects, case studies, and learner stories, we document the experiences of learners and practitioners and highlight the value of community education across the island of Ireland.
Recent Community Education Research and Projects
Community Education for Social Transformation (CEST)
The Community Education for Social Transformation research explores the role community education plays in supporting learners, communities, and wider social change.
The research highlights the importance of sustainable community education provision, particularly for learners experiencing inequality and exclusion, and demonstrates the significant personal, social, and community impact of participation in community education.
Community Education Against Disinformation
The Community Education Against Disinformation (CEAD) project explores how adult and community education can respond to online disinformation, racism, and social division. Developed with learners and practitioners through storytelling workshops and collaborative research, the CEAD Workbook supports educators to create safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue, critical reflection, and collective learning.
The workbook focuses on building digital literacy, critical thinking, empathy, and media awareness, while supporting solidarity and inclusion across diverse communities.
The Transformative Impact of the Dillon’s Cross Project
This research explored the experiences of learners and practitioners involved in the Dillon’s Cross Project, a Cork ETB community education initiative supporting female relatives of prisoners and ex-prisoners. Through qualitative interviews and learner testimony, the research highlighted the transformative impact of community education, including increased confidence, wellbeing, trust, connection, and engagement in learning.
The research also demonstrated the importance of holistic and wraparound supports, particularly for learners experiencing intergenerational disadvantage, poverty, trauma, and social exclusion. By centring learners’ lived experiences, the project contributes to a wider evidence base on the role of community education in supporting inclusion, participation, and social equality.