| Summary: | Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concern of this study is primarily with insights, either acquired or original, which
may be gleaned from the works of Michael Quinn Patton, especially his seminal book,
“Utilization-Focused Evaluation” with regards to utilisation of evaluation. The
importance of utilisation of evaluation processes and findings cannot be
overemphasised. Use is critical to the success of multiple development programmes in
South Africa which collectively will ultimately determine the country’s
accomplishment of its developmental goals. The study is an analysis of the relevant
literature on utilisation of evaluation; comparing and contrasting Patton’s writings with
those of other scholars on this topic of utilisation. The process of understanding these
insights involves a brief biography of Patton to get a glimpse into the factors which
influenced the development of his ideas and to learn from them as well as from his
innovative ideas. The major theme of utilization-focused approach to evaluation is
utility and actual use of evaluations. The study therefore devotes special attention to
these concepts in order to find out how he defines them, his motivation to focus on
them and his perceptions of the purposes of evaluation. These determine his conception
of the evaluation field; and his success in promoting evaluation utilisation is measured
against them. The study also contains a detailed discussion of the so-called “paradigms
debate” between the quantitative and qualitative paradigms in the educational and
social sciences in the 1960s and 1970s. This debate was necessary to quell the division
triggered by the domination of the quantitative paradigm over qualitative one in these
fields and to promote understanding of the need to prioritise research questions by
designing studies to answer to them instead of research problems being fitted into “onesize-
fits-all” readymade designs, the study argues. The role played by Patton in turning
evaluation into a profession is also discussed at length. His works on this subject
include a contribution towards enhancing quality and credibility of evaluation, major
input on the Standards of Excellence for Evaluation as well as assisting in the
development of methods for evaluation. The inevitability of politics in evaluation is
highlighted together with the importance of their ethical conduct. The debates in the
American Evaluation Association are very illuminating and Patton’s involvement in
them is detailed in the study. They cover a range of issues which are useful to
deepening of understanding of evaluation conduct and particular factors which affect
use. The study ends with a critical analysis of Patton’s contribution to utilisation of
evaluations by programme decision makers and its significance to South Africa. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van dié studie het hoofsaaklik te doen met insigte, hetsy oorspronklik of
ontleen aan ander bronne, wat afgelei kan word van die werk van Michael Quinn
Patton, veral van sy invloedryke boek, “Utilization-Focused Evaluation,” ten opsigte
van die toepassing van program-evaluasie. Die belangrikheid van die toepassing van
evalueringsprosesse en -bevindings, kan nie oorbeklemtoon word nie. Toepassing is
krities tot die sukses van veelvuldige ontwikkelingsprogramme in Suid-Afrika wat
gesamentlik uiteindelik sal bepaal of die land sy ontwikkelingsdoelwitte sal bereik. Die
studie is ’n analise van die tersaaklike literatuur oor die toepassing van evaluering; wat
Patton se werk met dié van ander skrywers oor die onderwerp van toepassing vergelyk.
Die proses om dié insigte te verstaan, behels ’n kort biografie van Patton ten einde ’n
vlugtige blik te kry oor die faktore wat tot die ontwikkeling van sy idees aanleiding
gegee het en om van hulle, sowel as van sy innoverende idees, te leer.
Die hooftema van die toespitsing op die toepassingsbenadering vir evaluering, is sy
veelsydigheid en die werklike gebruik van evaluasies. Derhalwe le die studie hom dus
veral op dié konsepte toe ten einde vas te stel hoe hy hulle gebruik het, wat sy
motivering was om daarop te fokus en sy siening rondom die doelwitte van evaluasie.
Dít bepaal sy begrip van die gebied van evaluasie, en sy sukses ten einde die toepassing
van evaluasie te bevorder, word hierteenoor gemeet. ’n Uitvoerige bespreking oor die
sogenaamde “ paradigma-debat’’ tussen die kwantatiewe en kwalitatiewe paradigmas in
die opvoedkundige en sosiale wetenskappe van die 1960’s en 1970’s word ook hierin
saamgevat. Verder voer die studie aan dat die debat noodsaaklik was ten einde die
verdeeldheid te oorkom wat deur die oorheersing van die kwantitatiewe oor die
kwalitatiewe paradigmas op dié terreine veroorsaak is, en om begrip te bevorder
betreffende die behoefte om navorsingsvrae voorrang te gee deur studies te ontwerp
wat dié vrae beantwoord, in plaas daarvan om navorsingsprobleme in ’n klaargemaakte
een-grootte-pas-almal ontwerp te plaas.
Patton se rol om program-evaluasie in’n professie te omskep, word breedvoerig
bespreek. Sy werk oor die onderwerp sluit ’n bydrae in om die gehalte en
geloofwaardigheid van evaluasie te verhef, belangrike insette ten opsigte van die
Standaarde van Uitnemenheid vir Evaluasie, sowel as om met die ontwikkeling van
evaluasiemetodes te help.
|
|---|
