Introduction
In recent years, it is becoming increasingly clear that programs or projects hardly survive in the absence of an evaluation. A program evaluation, among other things, provides formative feedback that inarguably assists to guide the program during the implementation phase.
Among the deliverables, an evaluation provides summative information that evidently demonstrates the effectiveness of the program towards achieving its stated goals and objectives (Royse et al., 2010). More importantly, this information can be used to optimize the program’s results, efficiency, and quality (Fink, 1995). Below, this paper addresses some questions relating to an evaluation of Teacher Education Training (TEP).
Evaluation Questions
According to Fink (1995), evaluation questions are mainly posed primarily to judge the program’s merits, that is, if goals were met, benefits achieved, and standards of achievement, among others. As such, the following are the evaluation questions:
- To what extent did the TEP achieve its goals and objectives in terms of enhancing your teaching methods?
- Has the TEP impacted you in any way in terms of imparting knowledge to the students you teach?
- Have there been any changes in the way you comprehend the subject you teach after undergoing the TEP?
- In your opinion, do you think the TEP is worth been replicated in other curriculums of other universities?
- Do you still employ the TEP techniques you learned?
- How has the TEP changed your general perspective in teaching your subject?
Standards
According to Fink (1997), “setting the standards means deciding on the information needed to provide convincing evidence of a program…” The standards that are decided upon must be appropriate, measurable, and credible. In the case example, the following are the standards:
- Testimonials from teachers who have undergone or are in the process of undergoing the TEP about trends of improvement
- Observations by the evaluators on teaching methods between those in the proposed curriculum (TEP program) and past graduates
- Comparison of student achievement records, i.e., those taught by TEP trainees and those taught by past graduates
- Observation for possible differences in performance for teachers on TEP in terms of age, interest, and experience
Design
The evaluation design is the structure or backbone of any project evaluation process since it does not only document outcomes that can conclusively be linked to the intervention, but it also gives direction on how the subjects will be compared to record possible differences.
The design selected by the evaluators has far-reaching ramifications on the project final outcomes (Fink, 1995; Creswell, 2003). In the case study, the design employed is to compare teachers who have undergone TEP with previous graduates in terms of changes in teaching methods, knowledge of subject taught, and student performance. The measures employed include:
- Testing and surveying all subjects in the proposed two year TEP and internship program
- Observing subjects on an yearly basis from entry into TEP until two years after graduation
Data Collection Measures
A data collection measure is basically a tool or instrument that has been designed, tested, and validated for purposes of collecting data from the field (Sekaran, 2006). In the case example, the following data collection measures are used:
- Achievement Tests
- Observations
- Survey Questionnaires
- Published Literature
Additional information
To successfully complete the evaluation, you need to know how to analyze the data received from the participants. Here, the methods of analysis are dependent on aspects of the evaluation items, how the variables are determined, and issues of reliability and validity, among others. In the case study, all the variables – categorical, ordinal, and numerical – have to be used. Finally you also need to know how to objectively report the results that must include:
- Purpose of evaluation
- How evaluation was done (methods)
- Results
- Implications
The evaluation reports can either be orally read or in written form. In the case study, a written report will be ready in six months
Reference List
Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc
Fink, A. (1995). Evaluation for Education and Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc
Royse, D., Thyer, B.A., & Padgett, D.K. (2010). Program Evaluation: An Introduction. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Sekaran, U. (2006). Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach, 4th Ed. Wiley-India