Full Description
Intended as a guide for those wishing to draw on research techniques in order to inform the planning and undertaking of multi-method evaluation studies of educational initiatives. While it is possible to undertake evaluation without reference to research, the formal evaluation of education initiatives is enhanced by the use of research approaches to gather information on the nature of the developments that have taken place and/or merit and worth of the initiatives. In a climate where the question, "Does it work?" is being asked with increasing frequency, this book will consider ways of designing multi-method evaluation studies to help answer this question.
Contents
1 What is Educational Evaluation?: Introduction - definitions and terminology; What is evaluation?; Why undertake evaluation?; Who is evaluation for?; Dimensions of evaluation; What is the relationship between evaluation and research?. 2 Models and approaches in educational evaluation: Approaches and models in educational evaluation; Two overviews; The classical research model; The illuminative evaluation model; Other models of evaluation; Ways of characterising research and evaluation questions; The politics of educational evaluation; Recent trends and developments in educational evaluation. 3 Innovation and models of change: Introduction; The Concerns-Based Adoption Model; John Harland and Kay Kinder - a typology of continuing professional development outcomes. 4 Research strategies and techniques for educational evaluation: Quantitative and qualitative data; Research strategies and techniques; Experiments as a research strategy in educational evaluation; Case studies as a research strategy in educational evaluation; Design experiments as a research strategy in educational evaluation; Research techniques in educational evaluation; The case study for a multimethod approach. 5 Planning and doing an evaluation: Key questions when planning and undertaking an evaluation; What is being evaluated?; What form will the evaluation take?; What practical issues need to be taken into account?; What questions will the evaluation address; What use will be made of the findings?; What types of data will be collected to help answer the evaluation questions?; What techniques will be used to gather data?; Who will gather data?; What ethical considerations need to be addressed?; How will the evaluation be reported?. 6 Evaluation in practice - some examples of studies: Example 1 - A new science course for nonscience specialists; Example 2 - An evaluation of a programme aimed at accelerating cognitive development; Example 3 - A thinking skills programme for primary school students.
