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Accounting Education Award for Distinctive Approaches to Teaching and Assessment

Context and Purpose

The pace of change in accounting and the organisational contexts in which accountants work, coupled with the shifting orientation and expectations of higher education, means there is an enduring need for accounting educators to develop and enrich the teaching, learning and assessment of accounting. The BAFA Accounting Education SIG supports the development of research and scholarship concerning accounting education and it seeks to foster a culture of continuous improvement and development in accounting education.

The BAFA Accounting Education SIG is delighted to continue to support an award which recognises outstanding contributions to the teaching and assessment of accounting. The award seeks specifically to highlight excellence in the development, delivery and evaluation of distinctive approaches to the teaching or assessment of accounting (broadly defined) at undergraduate or postgraduate degree level.

This year’s award will be granted in 2026 and it will recognise distinctive teaching or assessment approaches in 2024/25 and 2025/26 (so the practice which is the basis of the application must have been in place between August 2024 and July 2026). The award winner will receive:

  • £500 cash prize.
  • £750 educator development fund, which will reimburse the winner for appropriate expenditure associated with enhancing their practice as an accounting educator (i.e. training, teaching materials, technology, attending a conference or event etc). The expenses that will be reimbursed must be agreed in advance with the SIG Treasurer and will be paid on the submission of receipts. The fund must be utilised within 18 months of the award.
  • Free registration for the next BAFA Accounting Education SIG Annual Conference at which the award winner will be expected to make a presentation on their distinctive approach to teaching or assessment or a research paper based on it. (The educator development fund can be used to cover other expenses associated with attending the conference if need be)

Application Requirements

The applicant must be a member of the BAFA Accounting Education SIG for two years immediately prior to the closing application date (ie: have been a member from September 2024 to September 2026). The award scheme is open to all members of the SIG except current or recent (within two years) members of the SIG Executive Board. Applications from early career academics and those compiling a portfolio of practice for career development purposes are particularly welcome.

Applicants for the award should submit the following by the 30 September 2026

1. A signed copy of the application form

2. A short CV (max 1 page).

3. An application portfolio which sets out the following with regard to the distinctive approach to teaching or assessment of accounting, which is the basis of the application:

A. Explains the background to the development and introduction of the distinctive approach to teaching or assessment – 200 words max.

B. Describes the distinctive approach to teaching or assessment – 500 words max.

C. Evaluates the effectiveness and impact of the distinctive approach to teaching or assessment, providing evidence to support claims (e.g. evidence from students, programme reviews, external examiners, peers etc). – 750 words max. [Word limits exclude references/bibliographies.]

4. A brief statement of support (100 words max.) for the application from a colleague (typically a Head of Department, Programme Director or experienced staff member) who is familiar with the distinctive approach to teaching or assessment which is the basis of your application.

Submission of Application

Deadline: 30 September 2026

Your complete submission (see notes below) should be emailed to Professor Cathy Myles (c.myles@leeds.ac.uk) and Dr Margaret Healy (margaret.healy@ucc.ie) by the deadline (above).

Submission notes:

i. All application documents (items 1 – 4 above) must be submitted as a single Word or pdf file.

ii. Appendices can be used to showcase materials or evidence related to sections B and C of the application portfolio (up to four pages in total – to be included in the single Word/pdf file (above).

Please note: An acknowledgement will be issued to confirm receipt of your submission. Contact us again if you do not receive an acknowledgement.

Award Assessment Criteria

An Awards Committee, comprising senior experienced SIG members, will be established to oversee the awards process. The Awards Committee will evaluate the applications and will determine the winner of the award, the decision of the Awards Committee is final.

The assessment criteria will be as follows:

  • Novelty, creativity and innovation in the distinctive approach to teaching or assessment.
  • Appropriateness and ‘fit’ of the distinctive approach given the context and background.
  • Evidence of the effectiveness and impact of the distinctive approach.
  • Evidence of impact or potential impact beyond your university, in the broader educational environment.
  • Quality of the application in terms of completeness, writing style, presentation and the cohesiveness of the arguments.

Announcement of Award Winner

The award winner will be announced by 31 December 2026. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications in advance of the announcement.

Past DATA Award Winners

Award recipient for 2025

Amy Hopkins FCA BFP FMAAT FHEA MSc., Senior Teaching Fellow / Faculty Employability and Enterprise Coordinator, Faculty of Business and Law; University of Portsmouth. “Debits, Credits and Conversations: Bridging the University-Employer Gap by Building Student-Employer Links through Panel Meetings.”

Award recipient for 2024

Suzanne McCallum CA, FHEA, Senior Lecturer, Associate Head, Learning & Teaching (Accounting & Finance), University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Business School. “Turning action learning into active feedback”

Award recipient for 2023

Jenni (Jennifer) Rose, Senior Lecturer, Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS), University of Manchester “Compassionate dialogic playful teaching to empower students to reach their intellectual potential”