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Policing Knowledge: A Longitudinal Study - Police Education, Organisational Receptivity, and Professionalisation in England and Wales
Thu, September 4, 2:30 to 3:45pm, Communications Building (CN), CN 2111Abstract
Police professionalism remains central to ongoing police reform in England and Wales, with a significant shift toward professionalisation marked by the establishment of the College of Policing in 2012. A core component of this agenda was the introduction of the Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) in 2016, which integrated degree-level qualifications into police recruitment and recognised prior learning among existing officers and staff. This reform represented a fundamental shift from traditional police training to embedding educational standards in policing. However, the PEQF reform has been met with controversy and resistance.
This study presents findings from a five-year longitudinal investigation (2016–2021) into the experiences and perceptions of police officers and staff who undertook police-related degrees. The research draws on 113 surveys and 62 interviews conducted at four different time points, capturing both the study period and post-graduation reflections. Findings highlight the pivotal role of knowledge in police professionalisation, revealing a complex and often contradictory relationship between police education and organisational receptivity. While officers and staff valued their degree-level knowledge and skills, they frequently perceived their organisations as failing to recognise or utilise their expertise. Framed by organisational justice and psychological contract theories, this study identifies a gap between individual professional development and institutional structures. Operating within a ‘wicked learning environment,’ police organisations often exhibit surface-level change rather than deep transformation, leading many degree holders to experience a ‘state of stasis’ where their knowledge remains underutilised. As police education discourse evolves, this research underscores the urgent need for meaningful organisational support in integrating learning and knowledge into professional practice.