Evaluation Roots: Tracing Theorists' Views and Influences

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"Marvin Alkin has assembled one of the most important collections of essays to date about the history of the booming discipline and profession of evaluation. This volume ushers the reader down memory lane to profound and semi-profound insights, invaluable lessons learned, and spectacular reflections from original pioneers and their former students about how to, and how not to, practice evaluation. Evaluation Roots provides one of the most coherent frameworks available―The Evaluation Theory Tree―for understanding differences and similarities between many of the modern day theories of evaluation practice. It is a must read for evaluation scholars, practitioners, and especially the next generation of evaluators. It will certainly be required reading for evaluation students attending Claremont Graduate University." ―Dr. Stewart I. Donaldson, Dean of the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Chair & Professor of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University

Concern for evaluation theoretical prescriptions emerged about 40 years ago, giving it a history that is both recent enough to be part of the living experience of many of today′s theorists and old enough to afford an opportunity for an analysis of how the field has evolved over time.

Evaluation Roots: Tracing Theorists′ Views and Influences examines current evaluation theories and traces their evolution within the framework of theories building upon theories and how evaluation theories are related to each other. Initially, all evaluation was derived from social science research methodology and accountability concerns. The way in which these evaluation "roots" grew to form a tree helps to provide a better understanding of evaluation theory. Thus, the book uses an evaluation theory tree as its central metaphor. Author Marvin C. Alkin posits that evaluation theories can be classified by the extent to which they focus on methods, uses, or valuing; these three approaches form the major limbs of the tree.

examines current evaluation theories and traces their evolution within the framework of theories building upon theories and how evaluation theories are related to each other. Initially, all evaluation was derived from social science research methodology and accountability concerns. The way in which these evaluation "roots" grew to form a tree helps to provide a better understanding of evaluation theory. Thus, the book uses an evaluation theory tree as its central metaphor. Author Marvin C. Alkin posits that evaluation theories can be classified by the extent to which they focus on methods, uses, or valuing; these three approaches form the major limbs of the tree.

In addition to an overview, which analyzes the evaluation theory tree and connections among theories, the book contains essays by twenty-two leading evaluation theorists. In these pieces, the evaluators comment on their own development and provide their own views of their placement upon the tree.

This book is intended for graduate students in departments of education, psychology, sociology, management, public policy, public health, and any department with a course in evaluation theory. It will also prove invaluable to professional evaluators and applied researchers who are seeking clarification on the differences between theoretical approaches to evaluation and how they developed.

Contributors

Robert Boruch

Huey Chen

Christina Christie

Thomas Cook

J. Bradley Cousins

Elliot Eisner

David Fetterman

Jennifer Greene

Egon Guba

Ernest House

Jean King

Yvonna Lincoln

Jason K. Luellen

George Madaus

John Owen

Michael Quinn Patton

Hallie Preskill

Peter Rossi

Michael Scriven

William R. Shadish

Robert Stake

Daniel L. Stufflebeam

Carol Weiss

Joseph Wholey

Marvin C. Alkin is Emeritus Professor in the Social Research Methodology Division of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been a member of the UCLA faculty since 1964 and has, at various times, served as Chair of the Education Department and Associate Dean of the school. Dr. Alkin was one of the founders of the Center for the Study of Evaluation and was its Director for 7 years. Dr. Alkin is a leading authority in the field of evaluation. He has published important research studies on the use of evaluation information in decision making and on comparative evaluation theory. His publications include five books on evaluation and more than 150 journal articles, book chapters, monographs, and technical reports. His books include Using Evaluations (with Peter White and Richard Daillak), Debates on Evaluation, Evaluation Roots (1st and 2nd editions), and the four-volume Encyclopedia of Educational Research (6th edition). Dr. Alkin is currently co-section Editor of the American Journal of Evaluation. He previously had been Editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. He has also been a consultant to numerous national governments and has directed program evaluations in 14 different countries.