Continuing Professional Development: Perceptions from New Zealand and Australian Accounting Academics

This paper investigates the largely unexplored topic of accounting academics' perceptions of, and participation in, continuing professional development (CPD). A survey was conducted on academics in degree-teaching institutions in New Zealand and Australia. Results from 66 respondents indicate that accounting academics believe that assessing CPD needs is a personal responsibility and is integral to being an academic. The main methods of undertaking CPD are a combination of conferences, research and higher education. Other methods include reading accounting education literature, seminars and research methods courses. CPD was undertaken to maintain professional competency and credibility of qualifications, with outcomes being new technical accounting knowledge and teaching skills. Most CPD benefited respondents' teaching practices to some extent. While most institutions did not require CPD, the majority of institutions paid for their staff to participate.