Description
Book SynopsisToday''s societies require research approaches that are creative, sensitive to cultural and contextual diversity, rooted in engagement and critical dispositions, and situated within local contexts. Action research and evaluation are inquiries into and about human lives. Both modes generate actionable data in specific contexts to facilitate positive social change and to further social justice. This book explores the potential of integrating action research and evaluation frameworks to encourage knowledge democracy, data literacy, and ethical practices. The authors draw a clear connection between program enactment and program goals, investigating the processes of design, qualitative and quantitative data collection, and analysis, and mixed methods considerations. Key questions include: why is new research paradigm needed? How do we define data literacy? How do we understand equitable societies? Working from the belief that knowledge is created constantly in our world by those in real-world settings and practical contexts, Evaluation and Action Research provides practitioners with an accessible guide to better inform practice and decision making.
Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1. Evaluation/Action Research Integrated Framework: Participative and Collaborative Chapter 2. Determining a Purpose and a Focus Chapter 3. Getting Down to the Design: Determining Our Examination Main Questions and Appropriate Designs Chapter 4. Qualitative Data Collection/Quantitative Data Collection; Mixed-Methods Considerations Chapter 5. Ethical Challenges in Action Research and Evaluation: Reflecting on Tensions Interlude: Preface to Data Analysis and Informing Data Literacy Chapter 6. Qualitative Data Analysis Chapter 7. Quantitative Data Analysis Chapter 8. Mixed-Methods: Integrating Data Analyses to Gain Comprehensive Understanding of Problems, Contexts, and Stakeholder Needs Chapter 9. Revisiting Our Integrated Model: Focus on Facilitating Social Justice and Equitable Societies Glossary References
