Policy Oriented Evaluation Design

EVALUATION RESEARCH DESIGNS

1. Policy-Oriented Evaluation Design

Policy-oriented evaluation research design refers to studies embarked on for the purpose of generating change in existing educational policies and practices. Policy-oriented evaluation design is adopted for critical examination of the efficacy or effectiveness of existing policy with a view to providing relevant information for making of new policy or modifying existing policy, monitoring and implementing it. This design is often adopted to enable politicians and administrators have empirical evidence on which they can add their own value judgments before embarking on a consistent course of action that involves development and implementation of new policy. Funds at the disposal

(ii) The investigation is aimed primarily at maintaining the existing policies, practices and structure of the educational institution or organization for its continuity without change.

(iii) The research is conducted by an experienced researcher who is hired by the educational system exclusively for that purpose so that the organization can maintain total control over the entire investigation.

(iv) The design is adopted to provide information in a concise form for the senior educational administrators in order for them to consolidate their position of power in the

Action research is somehow similar to applied research which is ultimately aimed at testing of theories or theoretical concepts in actual problem solving situations for improvement of organizational processes and products. However, applied research is broader, more rigorous and generalizable to other similar or comparable settings than action research. Applied research is far more rigorous in the application of scientific method for establishment of relationships and testing of theories than action research. Also, applied research demands greater randomization in sampling, more stringent control of variables, larger sample size and appropriate generalization of its findings to comparable situations than action research. Action research focuses more on very specific problem solving in a particular circumstance than applied research. For instance, the practical resolution of educational problems in action research is aimed at improvement of specific localized (not generalizable) teaching-learning practices in the school covered by the research. It applies scientific method loosely in solving real-life school problems to locally improve teaching-learning quality in the particular school under