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Allied Health Professionals’ Motivations for Continuing Professional Development. Implications for Translation into Practice
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Allied Health Professionals’ Motivations for Continuing Professional Development. Implications for Translation into Practice

Helen McGregor
Southern Cross University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.595
Appears in  Recent Southern Cross PhD Theses
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Abstract

Allied Health Continuing Professional Development Motivation PRACTICAL Framework
This research investigates Allied Health professionals’ motivations to participate in continuing professional development (CPD). It examines the implications of these motivations for translating CPD learning into practice. In Australia, CPD is mandatory for both regulated and most self-regulated professions, yet its perceived effectiveness in meeting learning needs and influencing practice, remains underexplored. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this research aimed to clarify AH professionals’ motivations for participation in, and value judgements about CPD, and subsequent impacts on practice change. Adopting a sequential mixed methods approach, data were collected through an online survey incorporating published scales and open text responses. This was followed by qualitative interviews with a purposively sampled cohort. Integration of the results from the quantitative analysis of survey data and qualitative analysis of interviews to uncover common experiences, revealed that AH professionals are primarily motivated by the desire to apply professional knowledge and skills for patient benefit. Professional regulation status and requirements hold minimal influence. Participants emphasised the importance of CPD applicability to their roles, practices, and patient groups, while becoming more selective in their CPD choices as their careers progressed. Changes in CPD delivery and design post-COVID-19 were broadly welcomed by the participants as enhancing flexibility of access and completion, though preferences for in-person learning persist among most. Professional contexts and workplace interactions also appear to shape CPD participation and the likelihood of translation of learning into practice. These findings provide valuable insights for the future of CPD governance, highlighting the need to design frameworks that align with the learning needs of Allied Health professionals. By ensuring CPD activities are relevant and applicable to practice, these frameworks can better support professional development and ultimately improved patient care.

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