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.
