Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers
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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Netherlands
2024
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/157514 |
| _version_ | 1824458309974884352 |
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| author | Kelly, Catherine |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sociotechnical Systems Research Center |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sociotechnical Systems Research Center Kelly, Catherine |
| author_sort | Kelly, Catherine |
| collection | MIT |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:23:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/157514 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:23:51Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer Netherlands |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1575142025-01-08T04:33:50Z Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers Kelly, Catherine Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sociotechnical Systems Research Center 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. 2024-11-08T16:19:50Z 2024-11-08T16:19:50Z 2024-10-28 2024-11-03T04:17:42Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/157514 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). PUBLISHER_CC en 10.1007/s10734-024-01335-6 Higher Education Creative Commons Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Author(s) application/pdf Springer Netherlands Springer Netherlands |
| spellingShingle | Kelly, Catherine Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers |
| title | Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers |
| title_full | Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers |
| title_fullStr | Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers |
| title_short | Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers |
| title_sort | revisiting values in evaluation exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision making within english higher education providers |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/157514 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kellycatherine revisitingvaluesinevaluationexploringtheroleofvaluesinshapingevaluationpracticesandtheirinfluencesondecisionmakingwithinenglishhighereducationproviders |