Carol Costley is a Professor of Work and Learning. She is Director of the pan-university Work and Learning Research Centre in the Department of Education. She gained her PhD (1995) from the University of Surrey and she holds a Master's Degree in Work Based Learning Studies. She also holds professional qualifications in teaching and learning.
Carol works with organisations in the private, public, community and voluntary sectors internationally in the learning and teaching of work-based, taught and research degrees. She is Chair of the International Conference on Professional Doctorates www.ukcge.ac.uk/profdocs 2009- present, Chair of the 'Association of Practice Doctorates' www.ProfessionalDoctorates.org 2009- present and 'Researching Work and Learning' conference series committee member 1999- present. She was an executive member of the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) 2005-2011 and convenor of the UALL network for Work Based Learning 1998-2011
Qualifications
PhD M.A. B.Ed. Cert. Ed.
Carol's principal research interests are in Professional Doctorates and Work based learning. She is especially interested in examining methodologies and epistemologies in work based learning and how they are additional to and support subject based approaches to knowledge. Within that looking particularly at approaches to research undertaken in work situations particularly issues for those researching their own practice as ‘practitioner–researchers’, doctoral pedagogies and related issues of equity, ethics and quality. She enjoys giving seminars and tutorials and meeting candidates in their work environment. Other research interests include assessment and accreditation of work based learning and policy issues.
Costley, Carol and Boud, David (2021) The development and impact of professional doctorates. In: The SAGE handbook of learning and work. Malloch, Margaret and Cairns, Len and Evans, Karen and O'Connor, Bridget N. , eds. Sage, London. ISBN 9781526491114 (Accepted/In press)
Armsby, Pauline M. and Costley, Carol and Weller, Gordon (2021) The role of practice in doctoral degrees. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 26:3, 257-273, ISSN 1359-6748. [Journal Guest Editorial]
Boud, David and Costley, Carol and Marshall, Steve and Sutton, Brian (2021) Impacts of a professional practice doctorate: a collaborative enquiry. Higher Education Research and Development , 40 (3). pp. 431-445. ISSN 0729-4360
Armsby, Pauline and Costley, Carol (2019) Editorial. Studies in Continuing Education , 41 (2). pp. 135-141. ISSN 1470-126X
Costley, Carol and Fulton, John , eds. (2019) Methodologies for Practice Research; Approaches for professional doctorates. Sage, London. ISBN 9781473991606
