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This paper aims to describe the four education projects that demonstrate how Irish education provision is adapting to meet social and economic changes: Ubuntu Network working to integrate education for sustainable development (ESD) into teacher education; Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) facilitating service learning modules at higher education; Young Social Innovators (YSI), a social justice education programme for 15‐18 year olds; and a study of Irish students' levels of moral reasoning. Four commonalities are identified between the projects: critical thinking, active and participatory learning, knowledge skills and social justice. Discussion highlights features of the Irish education system that contrast with these commonalities and impact on their long‐term objectives, which may in fact hinder the development of engaged learners.

Four commonalities were identified at the roundtable discussions at the Irish Aid Sustainable Global Development Conference. Each commonality is discussed from the perspective of the projects described and contrasted against core features of Irish education.

All four education projects make positive contributions to civic engagement in Irish education, acknowledging education as central to active citizenship, social awareness, and empowerment of learners.

Discussion centres on how Irish education provision is adapting to meet social and economic changes. The paper argues that distinctive features of the Irish education system and the prevailing culture of Irish education do not lend themselves to social justice concerns such as education for sustainable development, moral reasoning or civic engagement.

Higher education has a key role and responsibility in creating change and addressing issues of fundamental human concern such as inequality and social justice, globalisation and development, environmental protection and sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to describe how RCE‐Ireland, established in September 2007, aims to develop awareness and engagement with these realities and ensure they become integrated into education in Ireland.

Action research is based on a cyclical process of action, observation, reflection and adaptation, and has been adopted by RCE‐Ireland as key to reorienting the practice of education towards sustainability. Two case studies of action research projects are the focus of the paper: Critical Thinking in Large Scale Lectures, University of Limerick, and Reorienting Course Content towards Ethical and Ecological Consumerism, St Angela's College, Sligo. The methodologies employed include both qualitative and quantitative data collection, and address critiques of action research while remaining true to the aims of democratic teaching and engaged scholarship.

The case studies demonstrate action research as a valuable and valid research methodology in itself, as well as recognising its appropriateness in reorienting education towards sustainability. The University and University‐based educationalists have a unique role here by linking research and practice, blurring the boundaries of research as objective and value‐free, and in demonstrating innovation and leadership in addressing global challenges and human concerns.

The University can provide opportunities for reorientation towards sustainability, as well as presenting challenges to this work. There is much evidence that higher education settings find it more difficult to adjust their practices than to adjust their content. One approach to engender such change in practice is the promotion of action research in higher education settings, where the twin roles of the academic practitioner as teacher and as researcher are brought together to adapt educational practice.