Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers
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10734_2024_Article_1335.pdf
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740.9 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
9413fd01b7e94a778556d9715b37cb92
Author(s)
Kelly, Catherine
Date Issued
October 28, 2024
Journal
Higher Education
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Citation
Kelly, C. Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers. High Educ (2024).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Theoretical and empirical contributions to research on evaluation have advanced our understanding of how values influence evaluation practice. Yet rather than understand how values shape evaluation and its use, research on the evaluation of widening participation (WP) programmes delivered by English higher education (HE) providers has focused on methodological deficits. Rather, this study explores the complexity of how national policy, organisational imperatives and the individual values of staff responsible for WP within HE providers influence how evaluation is practised and used to inform decision-making. The results of semi-structured interviews with 17 staff members spanning the organisational hierarchy of three diverse English HE providers highlight conflicts between staff values, job roles and responsibilities and espoused organisational values, and how they can influence symbolic and legitimising evaluation practices. Alternatively, at the individual level staff values support the process and instrumental use of evaluation to inform programme improvements. The findings identify implications for how HE providers can shape their evaluation systems, and how staff choose to enact evaluation within their programme areas.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sociotechnical Systems Research Center
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01335-6
