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Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given
area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject
in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of
travel. They are relevant but also visionary. This unique Research
Agenda addresses salient current issues in evaluation research,
offering a broad perspective on the role of evaluation in society.
International expert contributors explore how evaluation research
is not only academic research engaged in practical problem-solving,
but is also research that takes a critical look at this engagement,
providing inspiration for reflexivity among evaluators. Drawing on
a range of perspectives, including sociology, organization theory,
psychoanalytic theory, and feminism, chapters analyse examples of
how evaluation works in a number of arenas, such as education,
research, and voluntary work. Taking a critical look at evaluation
as a social phenomenon, this Research Agenda will be a useful
resource for scholars and students of evaluation, public
administration and management, and public policy. It will also be
beneficial in helping practitioners and researchers to understand
the major emerging issues within the field of evaluation.
This book offers a critique of the present status of the concept of
causality in the social sciences. "The Causality Syndrome" consists
of a belief in causal studies as more important than other studies,
a narrow definition of causality, and rules of thumb regarding how
to make causal claims. The book argues that the present dominance
of this syndrome has considerable downsides and presents a
challenge to social science. The book dissects the many
interconnected ideas which undergird this syndrome and offers an
intellectual home for advanced students, researchers and others who
are concerned about the present dominance of The Causality
Syndrome. The book critically discusses whether "causality"
deserves the central position in social science that its advocates
desire. The text shows how methodological rules about causal
inference are used to protect causal studies from critique, even in
situations where these rules are not followed. It is argued that
institutionalization of these rules as symbols of good and
trustworthy social science is highly problematic and comes with a
price. One of the casualties of causality is that there is less
motivation to study complex and pressing issues in society which do
not lend themselves to causal study designs. The sections are
short. The argument unfolds in a lively, engaged form with examples
from many fields, including public health, evaluation and
organizational studies. The case examples include classical
experiments as well as contemporary research, e.g. studies of the
effectiveness of restrictions targeting the spread of coronavirus.
The notion of quality features prominently in contemporary
discourse. Numerous ratings, rankings, metrics, auditing,
accreditation, benchmarking, smileys, reviews, and international
comparisons are all used regularly to capture quality. This book
paves the way in exploring the socio-political implications of
evaluative statements, with a specific focus on the contribution of
the concept of quality to these processes. Drawing on perspectives
from the history of ideas, sociology, political science and public
management, Dahler-Larsen asks what is the role of quality, and
more specifically quality inscriptions, such as measurement? What
do they accomplish? And finally, as a consequence of all this, does
the term quality make it possible to deal with public issues in a
way that lives up to democratic standards? This cross-disciplinary
book will be of interest to scholars and students across various
fields, including sociology, social epistemology, political
science, public policy, and evaluation.
How is European Education Governed? Data is now the lifeblood of
education governance. At the international level, organisations
like the OECD steer education systems through their programmes of
assessment and the European Commission's project of creating the
most successful knowledge economy in the world is driven by data
collection, analysis and comparison. At the national level,
policy-makers increasingly depend on data to show them where they
are positioned, in relation to their competitors, and draw on data
to justify policy directions. Within systems, schools and teachers
have become proficient in data use, and interpret their priorities
with reference to data. This book draws on a three-year comparative
study of the influence of data on education systems in Europe,
looking at the contrasting policy contexts of Denmark, England,
Finland, Scotland and Sweden, and examining the use of data in
these systems, in relation to steering by Europe, as well as policy
mediation and 'translation' of data within systems. The authors
draw on interviews with key policy actors in the European
Commission and with national policy makers in all five systems, as
well as on local case studies and a major comparative survey of the
effects of data production and use on the work of teachers and
headteachers. The research brought together international
researchers from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, including
educationalists, political scientists and specialists in research
and evaluation. The book offers new arguments relating to the use
of Quality Assurance and Evaluation as a means of standardising and
harmonising education policy and practice, while also drawing
attention to significant variation in policy and practice across
these systems. It should be of interest to researchers,
post-graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in
policy studies in education and more generally.
Evaluation--whether called by this name, quality assurance, audit,
accreditation, or others--is an important social activity. Any
organization that "lives in public" must now evaluate its
activities, be evaluated by others, or evaluate others. What are
the origins of this wave of evaluation? And, what worthwhile
results emerge from it?
"The Evaluation Society" argues that if we want to understand many
of the norms, values, and expectations that we, sometimes
unknowingly, bring to evaluation, we should explore how evaluation
is demanded, formatted, and shaped by two great principles of
social order: organization and society. With this understanding, we
can more conscientiously participate in evaluation processes;
better position ourselves to understand many of the mysteries,
tensions, and paradoxes in evaluation; and use evaluation in a more
informed way. After exploring the sociology and organization of
evaluation in this landmark work, author Peter Dahler-Larsen
concludes by discussing issues that are critical for the future of
evaluation--as a discipline and a societal norm.
The notion of quality features prominently in contemporary
discourse. Numerous ratings, rankings, metrics, auditing,
accreditation, benchmarking, smileys, reviews, and international
comparisons are all used regularly to capture quality. This book
paves the way in exploring the socio-political implications of
evaluative statements, with a specific focus on the contribution of
the concept of quality to these processes. Drawing on perspectives
from the history of ideas, sociology, political science and public
management, Dahler-Larsen asks what is the role of quality, and
more specifically quality inscriptions, such as measurement? What
do they accomplish? And finally, as a consequence of all this, does
the term quality make it possible to deal with public issues in a
way that lives up to democratic standards? This cross-disciplinary
book will be of interest to scholars and students across various
fields, including sociology, social epistemology, political
science, public policy, and evaluation.
In recent years, administrative leadership of local governments has
responded to the pressures generated by financial strain, control
from central government, structural reforms, and demands from
citizens, users, and organised interests. As a result, the working
conditions for municipal CEOs are changing. This book is about the
bonds between individual CEOs and their organisation in Western
local governments. By bonds we mean not only formal contracts, but
also norms and values. Survey data, interviews and field studies
are used to answer questions which are equally relevant to scholars
and practitioners, such as: What impact do structural reforms have
on the job as administrative leader in local government? What are
the value orientations and educational backgrounds of the people
applying for the job today? How are the required qualifications of
municipal CEOs defined? What impact do pressures on local
government have on CEOs? Which factors shape the daily life of a
municipal CEO? And finally, why do CEOs in some settings have long
tenures, while others run the daily risk of being fired? An
international team of 13 researchers carry out comparative analyses
covering: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, The
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden United Kingdom.
Evaluation--whether called by this name, quality assurance, audit,
accreditation, or others--is an important social activity. Any
organization that "lives in public" must now evaluate its
activities, be evaluated by others, or evaluate others. What are
the origins of this wave of evaluation? And, what worthwhile
results emerge from it?
"The Evaluation Society" argues that if we want to understand many
of the norms, values, and expectations that we, sometimes
unknowingly, bring to evaluation, we should explore how evaluation
is demanded, formatted, and shaped by two great principles of
social order: organization and society. With this understanding, we
can more conscientiously participate in evaluation processes;
better position ourselves to understand many of the mysteries,
tensions, and paradoxes in evaluation; and use evaluation in a more
informed way. After exploring the sociology and organization of
evaluation in this landmark work, author Peter Dahler-Larsen
concludes by discussing issues that are critical for the future of
evaluation--as a discipline and a societal norm.
Qualitative methods are used to an increasing extent in market
research, evaluation, consultancy, education, and social research.
Students in many disciplins use qualitative methods in their
reports and dissertations. However, qualitative research does not
always demonstrate a chain of evidence wich links conclusions with
data. Consultants' reports are often based more on impressions than
on presented data. Students spend a long time in preparation of
qualitative research, and their analyses are often weak. This book
provides practical advice on how to display qualitative data. It
also explains why a display of qualitative data is important in a
larger methodological context.
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