Issue 1 Editorial 

Editorial Issue 1 

On the Margins — Reimagining Education Through Empathy, Identity, and Inclusion

Welcome to the inaugural issue of On the Margins, a journal dedicated to illuminating the often-overlooked spaces of education where learners, teachers, and contexts defy conventional narratives, and where powerful, transformative practices unfold beyond the mainstream. A PDF version of the full journal is available here https://zenodo.org/records/18420906

This journal is presented in two distinct but interconnected parts:

Part One offers a collection of original academic articles that grapple with pressing questions of empathy, teacher identity, restorative practice, and inclusion. These pieces delve into how educators conceptualise and embody their roles, particularly in environments where learners face systemic barriers to participation and belonging.

We are proud to feature:

• Dr. Emma Carroll (Technical University of the Shannon), whose article "Examining the Role of Empathy in Supporting Students in Technological Universities" presents a compelling argument for empathy as a structural tool for equity in higher education. Her work illustrates how relational pedagogy can foster belonging for students navigating non-linear and non-traditional educational pathways. https://zenodo.org/records/18018306

• Dr. Patricia Kennedy (University of Limerick), in "Journeys into Literacy," centres the voices of adult learners in community-based settings. Her work challenges reductive views of literacy by foregrounding its affective, cultural, and identity-driven dimensions. https://zenodo.org/records/17990427

• Dr. Michael Toomey (University of Glasgow), in "Vulnerability and Empathy in University Teaching: Framing the Inclusive Classroom," brings a philosophical lens to the classroom, arguing that vulnerability is not a weakness to be hidden, but a necessary condition for authentic, inclusive teaching. https://zenodo.org/records/18018170

• Catherine Daly (University of Limerick), whose article “Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Effectiveness” explores how emotional intelligence and emotional labour shape leadership effectiveness in Irish post-primary schools, highlighting empathy, authenticity, and emotion management as critical for fostering trust, resilience, and transformational leadership. https://zenodo.org/records/17990691

Part Two shifts the lens to research taking place in non-traditional or marginalised educational settings, with a particular focus on participatory action research that centres the voices and agency of learners themselves.

This section includes:

• A critical exploration of Traveller Education, co-created with community members, which interrogates the deep-rooted inequities facing Traveller students while celebrating culturally sustaining approaches to learning and identity. https://zenodo.org/records/18349870

• An innovative case study of a Gaisce programme delivered through the N4 Story Exchange in Mountjoy Prison, which brought together prisoners and students from Maynooth University. This work highlights the transformative potential of shared storytelling as a bridge between isolated experiences, fostering empathy, mutual understanding, and social connection in a profoundly restorative educational context. https://zenodo.org/records/18350482

• A compelling case study of how Engage in Education uses long-term, community-led supports to counter structural inequality and transform higher-education pathways for young people in Limerick. By showing how continuity, relational practice, and community-based intervention enable students not only to access but to thrive within higher education despite systemic funding and policy barriers, it highlights both the promise and precarity of grassroots educational work. https://zenodo.org/records/18163451

These contributions remind us that education is not confined to the classroom or shaped solely by policy. It is lived in relationships, in communities, and in moments of vulnerability and courage.

At On the Margins, we believe that the periphery is not a place of deficit, but one of insight. This journal seeks to elevate the practices, perspectives, and research that dwell outside the centre, yet are crucial to reimagining what meaningful, inclusive education can and should be.

We extend our deepest thanks to all our contributors, and we invite you, our readers; to listen, reflect, and engage.

Dr Dan O’Sullivan

Chief Editor