More about my academic research

I was wanting to find out what CPD (continuing professional development) and lifelong learning meant in practice for professional accountants today and, as a result, how we should be learning in the future. My doctoral research involved a large-scale survey with ICAEW chartered accountants followed by in depth interviews with a cross-section of the respondents. I presented the results of the survey at the 2011 Conference of the Education Group of the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA) and my article Patterns of learning in the accountancy profession under an output-based continuing professional development scheme was subsequently published in 2012 in Accounting Education: an International Journal (21:6).

I then presented a paper covering the in-depth interviews and the development of my professional learning framework at the 2013 BAFA Education Group Conference where I received the award for best paper. My subsequent article More than 'continuing professional development': a proposed new learning framework for professional accountants was published in volume 25:1 of Accounting Education: an International Journal. I completed my doctoral thesis in 2013. The picture shows me with my supervisor Dr Dorothy Harris at my graduation ceremony - and don't I look pleased!

I was delighted to find my findings resonated with other professional bodies and PARN, the Professional Associations Research Network, commissioned me to write a book. Adaptability: the secret to lifelong learning was subsequently published and copies are available from PARN.