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Fundamental Issues in Evaluation

by: Smith, Nick L.; Brandon, Paul R.

Fundamental Issues in Evaluation

by: Smith, Nick L.; Brandon, Paul R.

ISBN 13:
9781593853426
ISBN 10:
1593853424
Format: Paperback
Copyright: 10/26/2007
Publisher: The Guilford Press

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Summary

Providing state-of-the-art perspectives on what evaluation is, its purpose, and how to ensure it is done well, this book brings together major evaluation researchers from a variety of social and behavioral science disciplines. Each chapter identifies a fundamental issue facing the field today; considers its implications for theory, method, practice, or the profession; and explores one or more approaches to dealing with the issue. Among the topics addressed are the nature of expertise in evaluation, how to build a better evidence base for evaluation theory, promoting cultural competence in evaluation, how to synthesize evaluation research findings, ways to involve stakeholders in decision making, and much more.

Fundamental Issues in Evaluation	p. 1
Mandala of Nautilus Shells	p. 2
Example: The Role of RCTs in Evaluation	p. 5
The Ongoing Fundamental Concerns	p. 10
Conclusion	p. 19
Issues of Theory	p. 25
The Relevance of Practical Knowledge Traditions to Evaluation Practice	p. 29
The Nature of Practical Knowledge	p. 30
Practical Knowledge in Evaluation	p. 33
Practical versus Technical Knowledge	p. 35
Stakeholder Representation in Culturally Complex Communities: Insights from the Transformative Paradigm	p. 41
The Transformative Paradigm	p. 42
The Transformative Paradigm as a Framework for Critical Analysis of Evaluation Practice	p. 44
Cultural Competency	p. 46
Dimensions of Diversity	p. 48
Cautions and Challenges	p. 55
Conclusion	p. 56
Issues of Method	p. 61
Multiple Threats to the Validity of Randomized Studies	p. 65
Background	p. 66
Objectives, Scope, and Methodology	p. 68
Results	p. 69
Conclusions	p. 82
Research Synthesis: Toward Broad-Based Evidence	p. 89
Background and History of Research Methodologies	p. 90
Types of Research Reviews	p. 92
Further Specification of Research Syntheses	p. 94
Implications of Existing Primary Research for Synthesis	p. 100
Conclusions and Recommendations	p. 104
Building a Better Evidence Base for Evaluation Theory: Beyond General Calls to a Framework of Types of Research on Evaluation	p. 111
Research on Evaluation: A Fundamental Issued?	p. 111
Research on Evaluation: Previous Calls	p. 113
From General Calls to a Framework	p. 116
Discussion	p. 126
Issues of Practice	p. 135
Complexities in Setting Program Standards in Collaborative Evaluation	p. 139
Conceptions of Collaborative Evaluation	p. 140
Complexities of Program Standard Setting in Collaborative Evaluation	p. 141
Participatory Evaluation of the Educational Leadership Program: Case Example	p. 149
Discussion	p. 154
Building Evaluation Recommendations for Improvement: Insights from Student Formative Assessments	p. 159
Discussion about Recommendations in the Program Evaluation Literature	p. 160
Formative Student Assessment	p. 161
Implications of the Assessment Pedagogy Model for Program Evaluation	p. 172
Issues of the Profession	p. 177
What Is the Difference between Evaluation and Research-and Why Do We Care?	p. 183
Why Do We Care about the Difference?	p. 184
Characterizing the Issue	p. 187
What Is the Difference between Evaluation and Research?	p. 188
Conclusion	p. 195
The Impact of Narrow Views of Scientific Rigor on Evaluation Practices for Underrepresented Groups	p. 197
Validity and Scientific Rigor	p. 201
The Role of Theory in Scientific Rigor	p. 207
Scientific Rigor to Advance the Social Justice Goals of NCLB	p. 209
Conclusion	p. 211
Improving the Practice of Evaluation through Indigenous Values and Methods: Decolonizing Evaluation Practice-Returning the Gaze from Hawai'i and Aotearoa	p. 219
Relevance to Evaluators	p. 220
Relevance to the Profession	p. 220
Relevance to Society	p. 221
Addressing the Issues	p. 221
Looking at the West	p. 222
Echoes of Our Colonial Past	p. 224
Protection of Cultural and Intellectual Rights	p. 225
Violations of Indigenous Values and Mainstream Evaluation Standards	p. 226
Thus One Learns	p. 228
An Indigenous Evaluation Framework	p. 228
An Indigenous Perspective on "Value"	p. 229
Assumptions about the Context	p. 230
Evaluation Components	p. 232
Barriers and Challenges	p. 233
An Example Showing Some Aspects of Culturally Appropriate Evaluation Practice	p. 235
Concluding Remarks	p. 239
Author Index	p. 243
Subject Index	p. 251
About the Editors	p. 263
Contributors	p. 264
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Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Fundamental Issues in Evaluation

Fundamental Issues in Evaluation

9781593853426

1593853424

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Fundamental Issues in Evaluation

Fundamental Issues in Evaluation

9781593853426

1593853424

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review

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