Program Evaluation in Language Education (Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics)

✍ Scribed by Richard Kiely, Pauline Rea-Dickins

• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 324
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Evaluation is a way of understanding and developing language programs: the thematic and background section sets out the decision-making, quality management, and learning functions of evaluation. Case studies illustrate the diversity of evaluation contexts, functions and approaches, documenting the ways in which evaluation processes and outcomes inform and facilitate program development, and contribute to explaining how language and teacher education programs constitute opportunities for learning. The ways in which evaluation practice can be researched and developed to maximize policy, institutional and program effectiveness is included, and a comprehensive set of resources for those commissioning, undertaking or researching language program evaluations concludes the text.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
General Editors' Preface......Page 12
Acknowledgements......Page 13
Part 1 Departure Points......Page 14
Introduction......Page 16
1.2 Three features of evaluation......Page 18
1.3 Five challenges for evaluation......Page 20
1.4 Summary......Page 29
2.1 Introduction......Page 30
2.2 Early judgements......Page 31
2.3 Early evaluations......Page 32
2.4 Evaluation as measurement and comparison......Page 36
2.5 Evaluation as a focus on worth and development......Page 39
2.6 Evaluation standards......Page 43
2.7 New theoretical perspectives......Page 45
2.8 Summary......Page 49
3.2 Use of evaluation......Page 50
3.3 Constructivism in evaluation......Page 53
3.4 Realism in evaluation......Page 57
3.5 Political dimensions of evaluation......Page 59
3.6 Compliance with mandates......Page 63
3.7 Summary......Page 67
4.2 Evaluation in language education and Applied Linguistics......Page 69
4.3 Language program evaluations......Page 72
4.4 Language evaluation outside language teaching programmes......Page 84
4.5 Summary......Page 85
Part 2 Cases and Issues......Page 86
Introduction......Page 88
5.2 Context......Page 90
5.3 Scope and aims of the evaluation......Page 91
5.4 Evaluation planning......Page 93
5.5 Articulating constructs and procedures......Page 94
5.6 Evaluation implementation and implications......Page 109
5.7 Summary......Page 111
6.2 Context......Page 112
6.3 Aims and scope of the evaluation......Page 115
6.4 Evaluation design......Page 117
6.5 Some findings......Page 124
6.6 Implications for evaluation......Page 128
6.7 Summary......Page 130
7.2 Context......Page 132
7.3 Aims and scope of the evaluation......Page 135
7.4 Evaluation design......Page 137
7.5 Data collection......Page 140
7.6 Some findings......Page 141
7.7 Implications for evaluation......Page 142
7.8 Afterword – 15 years on......Page 146
7.9 Summary......Page 147
8.1 Introduction......Page 149
8.2 Context......Page 151
8.3 Aims and scope of the evaluation......Page 154
8.4 Design of the evaluation......Page 155
8.5 Data collection......Page 158
8.6 Implications for evaluation......Page 160
8.7 Summary......Page 162
9.2 Context......Page 163
9.3 Aims and scope of the evaluation......Page 164
9.4 Design of the evaluation......Page 167
9.5 Implications for evaluation......Page 169
9.6 Summary......Page 173
10.2 Context......Page 174
10.3 Aims and scope of the evaluation......Page 175
10.4 Data collection......Page 182
10.5 Implications for evaluation......Page 186
10.6 Summary......Page 190
11.1 Introduction......Page 191
11.2 Evaluation study 1: Evaluation of national and state frameworks for the assessment of learners of English as an additional language......Page 196
11.3 Evaluation study 2: The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks......Page 203
11.4 Implications for evaluation practice......Page 210
11.5 Summary......Page 212
12.1 Introduction......Page 213
12.2 Understanding stakeholding......Page 215
12.3 Modes of stakeholder involvement......Page 219
12.4 Stakeholding and the locus of control......Page 227
12.5 Summary......Page 231
Appendix 12.2 Focus group instruments......Page 232
Part 3 Evaluation Practice and Research......Page 234
Introduction......Page 236
13.2 Understanding large-scale evaluations......Page 238
13.3 How will you validate the evaluation issues and questions?......Page 244
13.4 Which evaluation procedures will you use, and why, and how will you analyse your data?......Page 246
13.5 Why and how will you develop evaluation skills?......Page 249
13.6 What are the constraints that you will be working with in your evaluation?......Page 253
13.7 Developing ethical mindfulness......Page 257
13.8 Summary......Page 258
14.2 The scope of teacher-led evaluations......Page 259
14.3 Evaluation projects......Page 260
14.4 Sample projects......Page 263
14.5 Summary......Page 267
15.3 Evaluation projects......Page 268
15.4 Sample projects......Page 274
15.5 Summary......Page 284
Part 4 Resources......Page 286
16.2 Books......Page 288
16.3 Journals......Page 291
16.4 Professional associations......Page 295
16.5 Ethical guides and best practice codes......Page 296
16.6 Email lists and bulletin boards......Page 297
16.7 Additional internet resources......Page 298
Postscript......Page 302
Bibliography......Page 305
C......Page 320
E......Page 321
M......Page 322
S......Page 323
Z......Page 324