Visions of Quality

How Evaluators Define, Understand, and Represent Program Quality

D.M. Hinn|A. Benson|C. Lloyd

Emerald

This book can be opened with

Hardback

9780762307715

15 June 2001

$190.99

Description
Contents

The field of programme evaluation is shaped by an ever-increasing range of approaches each of which, to varying degrees, reflects evaluation's dual role as a theoretical endeavour and a form of socio-political inquiry. There is an array of approaches, each emphasizing different purposes and endorsing different methodologies to guide practice. Yet, no matter which goals are pursued and which methods are employed, all evaluation involves an effort to conceptualize, comprehend, and convey the quality of the programme. This volume brings together the work of certain evaluators to explore the evaluation of programme quality. Through conceptual descriptions and applied examples they discuss the theoretical concerns and practical issues that give rise to their particular conceptions of quality, the methodologies they employ to pursue an understanding of these conceptions, and the representational forms they employ to convey their understanding to stakeholders.

EDITORIAL BOARD. List of Contributors. Preface. Representing quality in evaluation. Why finding new forms for representing quality matters. Representing the truth about program quality or the truth about representing program quality. Communicating quality. Understanding program quality: A dialectic process. The relational and dialogic dimensions of program quality. Empowerment evaluation: The pursuit of quality. Communicating quality and qualities: The role of the evaluator as critical friend. Culture, standards, and program qualities. Determining program quality of a social service collaborative using case study methods and moving toward participatory evaluation. Use as a criterion of quality in evaluation. Descriptive values and social justice. Defining, improving, and communicating program quality. Evaluating the aesthetic face of leadership. The metaphor of the portfolio in evaluating teacher education programs. Performance-based assessment: A quality improvement strategy.