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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.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• 1 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)
• Part I Issues of Theory(p. 25)
• 2 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)
• 3 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)
• Part II Issues of Method(p. 61)
• 4 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)
• 5 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)
• 6 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)
• Part III Issues of Practice(p. 135)
• 7 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)
• 8 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)
• Part IV Issues of the Profession(p. 177)
• 9 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)
• 10 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)
• 11 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)

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Nick L. Smith is Professor in the School of Education at Syracuse University and a past president of the American Evaluation Association. The primary focus of his writings is the nature of applied field research and evaluation methods, and the theory of evaluation. Paul R. Brandon is Professor of Education and Director of the Program Research and Evaluation Office at Curriculum Research and Development Group, University of Hawai`i at Manoa. His current scholarly interests include the evaluation of program implementation and standard setting in evaluations.