Enlightenment through Engagement? The Potential Contribution of Greater Engagement between Researchers and Practitioners

This paper examines the potential contribution of engagement between accounting education researchers and practitioners. Drawing from a case where researchers and practitioners worked together to improve student employability, the paper examines researcher:practitioner engagement from both sides by exploring the potential benefits of participating in a collaborative process. Drawing from the existing literature, the paper notes the implications for accounting education of a perceived gap between accounting research and practice. Next, the paper examines how greater engagement might address this gap and make a contribution to accounting education research. Then, drawing from data accumulated by working with a group of accounting practitioners over a five-year period, the paper reports on the benefits identified by the practitioners of engaging in a collaborative process. Having examined engagement from the perspective of both researchers and practitioners, the paper concludes by discussing the implications of the engagement process for researchers and for future research.