Meta-evaluations in government and government institutions: A case study example from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

In this paper we draw on impact assessment work of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to present an example of meta-evaluation – an evaluation of evaluations – in an agricultural research, development and extension setting. We explore quality issues relating to evaluation studies in the context of government institutions. Program evaluation standards (PES) are divided into categories of utility, feasibility, propriety and accuracy to provide a framework for the meta-evaluation. The PES are presented as a universal measure of evaluation study quality. The intent of using them here is to judge the adequacy of PES as a universal quality measure or meta-evaluation base and to extract useful insights from ACIAR program evaluation activities when developing a meta-evaluation model for the Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA). Our meta-evaluation is undertaken of 63 impact assessment reports. First, the literature guiding the conduct of a meta-evaluation is reviewed. Second, an assessment (the meta-evaluation) of the evaluation studies is carried out for 19 sampled reports from a population of relevant reports fitting the dimension of the analysis, and results are presented and discussed. Also, lessons learned are presented, using the framework provided by the meta-evaluation criteria. Third, taking into account the lessons learned, implications are drawn for a proposed systematic meta-evaluation of the LDA. Finally, we conclude that all the PES cannot be equally emphasized in a meta-evaluation model. At ACIAR, 70% of the standards were at least partially addressed. Therefore, we succeeded in using the PES in judging the ACIAR evaluation quality. As such, they can be an important base when developing an evaluation model but should be applied in a contextualized manner.Meta-evaluation, Evaluation Quality, Program Evaluation Standards, Evaluation Model, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Limpopo Department of Agriculture (South Africa), International Development,

Does A Pre-Introduction Course Improve Subsequent Performance In Introduction To Computer Programming?

A new Computer Science Introduction course is described.  Student grades and the withdraw rate for the next course are both improved, and the proportion of student Computer Science majors is increased.Initial results indicate that the availability of the new Introduction to Computer Science (CSO) reduces the number of students who withdraw from the old Introduction to Computer Science (CS1) almost certainly because students who simply need an introduction to computers no longer sign up for CS1 – a computer science and computer programming course).  The limited data for students who took CS1 after completing CS0 do not as yet statistically support the hypothesis that CS0 will improve performance in CS1.  A higher proportion of students who completed both CS0 and CS1 declared Computer Science or Information Systems majors, than the proportion of those who just completed CS1

What’s Motivation Got to Do with It? A Survey of Recursion in the Computing Education Literature

One of the most challenging topics for both computing educators and students is recursion. Pedagogical approaches for teaching recursion have appeared in the computing education literature for over 30 years, and the topic has generated a significant body of work. Given its persistence, relatively little attention has been paid to student motivation. This article summarizes results on teaching and learning recursion explored by the computing education community, noting the relative lack of interest in motivation. It concludes by briefly discussing an approach to teaching recursion is appealing for students interested in web development

Using language learning strategies to develop ab-initio PGCE students' skills in primary modern languages

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of EducationThe announcements concerning the introduction of modern languages in Key Stage Two in England (https://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/ curriculum/national curriculum2014, [accessed 8 March 2013]), although not a new initiative, have renewed the need to train generalist primary teachers in teaching modern languages. Following an initial announcement of the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, the poor outcomes achieved by England in the European languages survey (COE, 2012) and the news that modern languages would be part of the primary curriculum (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18531751 [accessed 21 June 2012]) contributed to refreshing the agenda of languages in the country and the role of early second language learning appears to be slowly resurrecting. In order to provide trainee teachers with the skills necessary for teaching young learners modern languages, this study focuses on increasing subject knowledge and pedagogical competence in a short time by developing trainees’ reflective practice, broadly following the tradition of strategy-based instruction (Macaro, 2001; Cohen, 2007; Oxford, 2011), but within a social constructivist understanding of learning using collaboration. The research, which follows a mixed method case study approach, proposes and trials a teaching approach that incorporates language learning strategies in a collaborative manner. The design of a revised strategy-based approach has a three-fold purpose: (i) to enable primary trainee teachers to develop the linguistic skills necessary to teach another language through the use of the linguistic knowledge they already possess in their own mother tongue (Saville-Troike, 2012); (ii) to use self-regulation to build confidence and competence in the target language; and (iii) to enable trainees and pupils to develop their language learning autonomy. Results indicate that, within the case studies reported here, such an approach seemed to be an effective way of learning and teaching another language simultaneously for adults, as it provided ab-initio language learners with a basis for the development of linguistic skills thus increasing their capacity for languages. Whilst there is no claim to generalisation here, the studies indicate that using language learning strategies may create and sustain interest and engagement in the subject—a condition that has been identified as critical to the success of any teaching approach. Whilst the results were positive in terms of developing acceptable levels of linguistic competence in adult learners over a short time, the use of a strategy-based method with children did not prove satisfactory, perhaps because of the high metacognitive demands placed on them when they had not yet developed high level abstract thinking, particularly the amount of prior knowledge needed and the language required to verbalise complex cognitive processes

IMPACT OF PRACTICAL EDUCATION NETWORK ON STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN THE GHANAIAN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM

The Ghanaian education system has a pervasive teacher-centered pedagogy, lack or absence of laboratory materials, poor-quality teacher training, and minimal support systems for teachers. Practical Education Network is an organization which addresses these problems by training science teachers through workshops about how to utilize locally-available, affordable materials in order to teach topics in the national curriculum in an inquiry-based manner. Three hundred and twenty-four students in six different Junior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region participated in a year-long, quasi-experimental study in order to test the impact that the PEN approach has on students\u27 classroom environment, critical thinking skills, attitudes towards science, and standardized test scores. Additionally, teachers’ ability to setup materials, facilitate the lesson, and deliver the objective was also examined. The data indicates that the PEN approach had a beneficial impact on students\u27 classroom environment, attitudes towards science, and standardized test scores. The data also suggests that teachers were most comfortable with setup of materials, and least comfortable with delivery of the objective

Re-cognising RPL – A Deleuzian enquiry into policy and practice of Recognition of Prior Learning

This enquiry addresses a gap in the literature in relation to the conceptual development of Recognition of Prior Learning. Generally, research in RPL comprises large inventories and audits of practice as this enquiry shows. Few qualitative studies are available and there is a dearth of theoretical development in the field. This thesis explores perspectives of claimants and university managers/practitioners to explicate the issues at stake and explore the value of RPL in education. Using the practical philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari (DG), the conceptualization of RPL is explored in policy and practice and their concepts are employed to reimagine RPL for learning, and as pedagogy, in adult university education. A hybrid method of grounded and rhizomatic theory informs the research approach. This involves searching the complex and diffuse territory of RPL to seek affirmative options for RPL theory and practice. Three case studies illustrate how different approaches to RPL offer different outcomes and were built on vague conceptualizations. In one setting, fifteen years of RPL claimant records is collated and analysed. Findings show that up to 70% of adult students in the case study had prior learning and gained exemptions. The data further indicates that RPL did not increase a student’s chances of completing a degree. This contradicts findings from international research. The research also challenges fears expressed by university managers that RPL poses a risk to academic standards, as claimants may not have foundational knowledge to succeed in university. The data indicates, however, that on the contrary, claimants have extensive prior learning; much of it accredited at levels 6 and 7 and are thus college ready. A model of learner directed RPL, used in another setting, is explored and theorized. This creative approach seamlessly integrates prior learning with new learning and thereby advances knowledge for the learner. The impact of the approach on the learner and learning is significant and offers new possibilities for RPL in education. It moves it on from the narrow purpose of reducing time in education and enhancing skills for employment. Accounts from participants in this enquiry show that they go to college to learn and they prize RPL most when it extends their knowledge – a dimension of RPL neglected in the literature. The thesis concludes with some affirmative options for re-cognising RPL in adult education

Primary trainee teachers’ talk with primary school science coordinators : Two case studies of primary trainees learning to teach science

This thesis concerned the potential influence of talk on learning to teach primary science and was based on two case studies involving primary science trainee teachers and primary school science coordinators. The overall question for the thesis was: how may ‘talk’ with a primary school science coordinator influence a trainee learning to teach science during a placement? This study adopted a lens that acknowledged the importance of people and contexts for learning to teach. Extant research on science coordinators’ responsibilities, talk features and mentoring literature, as well as my own background as a science teacher and teacher educator informed and framed the study. A collective instrumental case study provided a methodological context for gathering qualitative data from interactions between two primary school trainee teachers and two science coordinators in primary schools. These participants were in two primary schools where the trainees were placed during the second year of a Bachelor of Education degree at a university in the Midlands, England. A participant observation strategy combined with a semi-structured interview protocol and participants’ reflective diaries were employed as research instruments. Three linguistic features of talk were analysed: topics in sequences of utterances, types of utterances spoken by the science coordinator and ‘we-statements’ spoken by trainees and science coordinators. Eight common topics emerged with science coordinators giving more information than instructions or questions and employing the use of ‘we- statements’ more than trainees. Trainees’ ‘I-statements’ altered during the placement. Factors influencing linguistic features included science coordinators’ prior experiences of ITT mentoring, school practices in teaching science, and topics of talk. The study findings suggest three main ways in which talk may influence a trainee learning to teach science in a primary school. Firstly, talk may influence trainees ‘thinking and doing’ science; secondly, talk may influence trainees’ perceptions about their ‘achievements’ and thirdly, talk may influence trainees’ feelings about science teaching. In making explicit how trainee teachers and science coordinators talk, this study helps to inform how talk may influence learning to teach primary science. From the findings, a new analogy emerged to support an understanding of ‘scaffolded’ learning for trainees through their zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978): ‘talk molecules’. ‘Talk molecules’ visualise linguistic features of talk for a particular topic such that multiple ‘talk molecules’ create a ‘talk space’ which may act as stimuli for learning. This new analogy contributes new knowledge to an understanding of how talk may influence a trainee learning to teach science

Re-cognising RPL – A Deleuzian enquiry into policy and practice of Recognition of Prior Learning

This enquiry addresses a gap in the literature in relation to the conceptual development of Recognition of Prior Learning. Generally, research in RPL comprises large inventories and audits of practice as this enquiry shows. Few qualitative studies are available and there is a dearth of theoretical development in the field. This thesis explores perspectives of claimants and university managers/practitioners to explicate the issues at stake and explore the value of RPL in education. Using the practical philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari (DG), the conceptualization of RPL is explored in policy and practice and their concepts are employed to reimagine RPL for learning, and as pedagogy, in adult university education. A hybrid method of grounded and rhizomatic theory informs the research approach. This involves searching the complex and diffuse territory of RPL to seek affirmative options for RPL theory and practice. Three case studies illustrate how different approaches to RPL offer different outcomes and were built on vague conceptualizations. In one setting, fifteen years of RPL claimant records is collated and analysed. Findings show that up to 70% of adult students in the case study had prior learning and gained exemptions. The data further indicates that RPL did not increase a student’s chances of completing a degree. This contradicts findings from international research. The research also challenges fears expressed by university managers that RPL poses a risk to academic standards, as claimants may not have foundational knowledge to succeed in university. The data indicates, however, that on the contrary, claimants have extensive prior learning; much of it accredited at levels 6 and 7 and are thus college ready. A model of learner directed RPL, used in another setting, is explored and theorized. This creative approach seamlessly integrates prior learning with new learning and thereby advances knowledge for the learner. The impact of the approach on the learner and learning is significant and offers new possibilities for RPL in education. It moves it on from the narrow purpose of reducing time in education and enhancing skills for employment. Accounts from participants in this enquiry show that they go to college to learn and they prize RPL most when it extends their knowledge – a dimension of RPL neglected in the literature. The thesis concludes with some affirmative options for re-cognising RPL in adult education

A Qualitative Phenomenology of Christian Middle School Implementation of Inquiry-Based Science Instruction

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study will be to explore curriculum coordinators, teachers, and principals’ implementation of Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI) in Christian middle school science classes in the central Virginia area. IBI will be referred to as “a teaching method that combines the curiosity of students and the scientific method to enhance the development of critical thinking skills while learning science” (Warner & Myers, 2008, p.3). A qualitative phenomenology study will be made to consider the requirements and implementation of IBI in the Christian middle schools as compared to the requirements and implementation of IBI in the National Science Education Standard (NSES). Curriculum coordinators, teachers, and principals, and participated in this study from five Christian middle schools in the central Virginia area. The guiding theories include John Dewey’s (1948) Constructivism, Lev Vygotsky’s (1998) Social Constructivism, and William Glasser’s (2005) Choice Theory as they relate to the beliefs curriculum coordinators, teachers, and principals have regarding the implementation of IBI. A primary research question for this study is, “If research supports successful outcomes of IBI, then how and why do Christian CMSST, principals, and curriculum coordinators implement or not implement IBI?” Interviews, classroom observations, and document reviews were used for triangulation and data collection. The data analysis used in this study were completed by using Moustakas’ (1994) seven step thematic coding derived from the observations, interview transcriptions, and school documents in the form of lesson plans and objectives (Merriam, 2009; Moustakas, 1994)

Transformative education: culture-based pedagogies in urban, predominately Black American elementary schools

Problems facing Black American students in underfunded urban schools continue to threaten the viability of public education for this and other nontraditional student populations. These problems, along with the growing diversity of American children, prompt a reexamination of extant data on the practices associated with the effective teaching of Black American students. This meta-ethnography illuminates the findings of four case studies and then explores their implications for teaching. By looking through the lens of critical race theory, this study explores how effective teachers use culture-based instruction to better engage Black American students in the process of learning. Findings identify core teacher behaviors and instructional practices that support the successful teaching of urban Black American primary school children