Due to the fact of less control, we kind of have to 'live with' the fact that there could be other causes (besides the program, policy, procedure, etc.) that produced the given results. Therefore, for this reason, we can't use 'strong' words like 'cause/effect' here.

But even so, it is worth doing! More often than not, we try out and apply new programs, methods, procedures, etc., in such non-controlled real-world settings as a classroom and still hope to get a reasonable look at how the program, method, etc. worked!

Open this link to view another instructor's explanation of evaluation research, this time in social science research.

Evaluation Research

Examples of Evaluation Research:

1. What is the impact of a peer-counseling tutoring student support program on sixth grade students':
1. academic achievement;
2. motivation;
3. self esteem?

   P.S. Do you see how I listed the three 'sub-parts' of the above as separate listing-item elements? Sometimes it does get a bit 'too clunky' to list everything in one single sentence; it simply gets too run-on! The above 'breakdown' of a research question or problem statement is also referred to as 'sub problems.'

2. This study is to determine the effectiveness of a computer-assisted remedial reading program in increasing the vocabulary of adult participants.
3. This study is to evaluate a teacher incentive and development program in terms of its impact on teacher retention and motivation.

   P.S. #2: You might also be wondering, especially as you re-read the 'what is/what are' part of No. #1, above, why this wouldn't also be a descriptive research question. Well -- it is!

   And if you also reread No. # 1 under "Descriptive" problems/questions -- the one about the 'hands-on science instruction,' you'll also note that it sounds like 'assessing the effectiveness of a given teaching method/procedure.' So -- THAT one could also be "evaluation" in nature!

   Maybe this will help in isolating the difference: if there is some program being tried out/assessed, then it could be both "What is ... the impact [effectiveness] of ... [the specific program, policy, method, or procedure] .... " -- both descriptive and evaluation.

   But now please look back at Nos. # 2 and # 3 under descriptive research. For these, we aren't specifically 'road-testing' any particular programs or policies -- in one case, determining current quant. level of salary; and in the other case, trying to identify barriers to the effectiveness of the present/current method of supervision. So -- there would be no evaluation component here -- they are 'just' descriptive (identifying what is/what are).

Family/Type	Keywords and/or Basic Ideas to Look for
Descriptive	Identifying (what is/what are)
Correlational	Looking for: Relationships Associations Predictive Ability/Forecasting
Experimental	Cause/Effect and evidence of tight control (to isolate such causes and effects as specifically as possible)
Evaluation	Assessing Impact/Effectiveness of a program, method, policy, procedure, etc., that has been put into place

One more thing -- a "good quality" of research questions and/or problem statements -- that they be "lean and mean!"

Ideally, they should be a single sentence or two. If it helps to break up the sentence or text, you could list component parts as 'sub problems' (Please see No.# 1 under "Evaluation" examples above.)

A common (but understandable) mistake is to start talking about OTHER parts of the research design under Problem Statement!

Please remember: the Problem Statement (or Research Question(s)) is the 'WHAT' (you are wanting to study or investigate!)!

Open the link below for a hypertext list of evaluation projects in education. View a few of these.

Examples of Education Evaluation Research Projects

Go on to Brainstorm an Evaluation Research Problem Statement
or
Go back to Evaluation Research Family

Send Email to Walt Coker at Walter.Coker@nau.edu
Call Walt Coker at (623) 772-0305

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