Professor Kathleen M. Quinlan – “Promoting students’ interests: A key to student centric inclusive education”

The 2025 BAFA Accounting Education SIG Conference opened this week at Dublin City University’s St Patrick’s Campus with a keynote address from Professor Kathleen M. Quinlan of the University of Kent, highlighting the need to reframe accounting education around the genuine interests and lived experiences of students.

In her talk, “Promoting Students’ Interests: A Key to Student-Centric Inclusive Education,” Professor Quinlan argued that student interest isn’t a fixed trait—it’s something educators can trigger, grow, and sustain through thoughtful, human-centred teaching. She challenged the dominant compliance-based models of accounting education and urged the academic community to build courses that connect with students’ lived experiences, motivations, and sense of purpose.

Professor Quinlan drew on her own research to make her case. One study she referenced explored what sparks first-year students’ interest in lectures. The findings were clear: students become engaged when teaching feels human, challenging, and relevant. Instructors who showed care, used real-world examples, and created moments of genuine connection—like a lecturer pausing mid-sentence to ask, “Are you getting this?”—were far more likely to capture attention and drive learning.

“Interest is fragile at first,” Quinlan said, citing the work of Renninger and Hidi. “It grows when students feel seen, when teaching makes them think, and when they understand the real-world value of what they’re learning.”

She highlighted how student interest deepens over time—from initial curiosity to passionate, self-driven engagement. But to get there, educators need to do more than just deliver content—they need to create cognitive activation (mental challenge), show relevance, and introduce moments of surprise or novelty, all while avoiding overload.

In a second study discussed during the keynote, Professor Quinlan focused on culturally sensitive curricula. These approaches ensure students see their backgrounds, histories, and identities reflected in what and how they are taught. Six pillars—such as diverse representation, avoidance of stereotypes, and critical engagement with systems of privilege—were identified as key to building inclusive learning environments that not only close equity gaps but also fuel academic interest.

“Students told us clearly: when they don’t see themselves in the material, they disengage,” Quinlan said. “But when they do, their interest grows.”

The BAFA conference, hosted by DCU from May 21 to 23, gathers educators and researchers committed to transforming accounting education. This year’s programme includes sessions on digital pedagogy, inclusive assessment, and ethics in the curriculum—all geared toward aligning education with today’s complex social, professional, and cultural realities.