Alexandra Sá Costa

Alexandra Sá Costa is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, where she also completed her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in Educational Sciences. She is a key member of the Center for Educational Research and Intervention (CIIE), where she co-coordinates the research group TEDeMoS – Work, Education, Development and Social Movements – and leads the strategic area on educational challenges for migrants and refugees.

• PhD in Educational Sciences, University of Porto (2012)
• Master’s in Educational Sciences, University of Porto (2004)
• Bachelor’s in Educational Sciences, University of Porto (2000)

Her research focuses on educational and social policy analysis, the interplay between education and development, new social movements, and non-formal education. She has led and contributed to numerous studies on education in emergencies, digital education in rural areas, and global citizenship education, particularly in Mozambique and Portugal.

The analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward understanding education beyond formal institutions, especially through community-based initiatives like civil wind bands as non-formal educational spaces. Her work also critically examines political discourses in education and evaluates national strategies such as Portugal’s Development Education Strategy. Themes of discourse analysis, equity, inclusion, and community engagement recur across her research.

Her significant contributions to public policy evaluation include:

• External Evaluation of the Portuguese National Strategy of Development Education (2018–2022 and 2010–2015)
• Curriculum evaluation for the Medicine Degree at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto
• Assessment of programs like PRO-LOCAL and PROCUR
• Studies on education in emergencies funded by Camões, IP and OEI

Alexandra Sá Costa actively supervises graduate research, with over 45 Master’s and PhD theses supervised in areas such as art education, educational policy, and social change. She teaches graduate courses in policy analysis and development education. Her research is conducted through CIIE and in collaboration with international organizations such as the OEI, Camões Institute, and World Vision Mozambique, particularly within projects focused on disaster risk reduction and safer schools.