Discuss the similarities and differences between research and program evaluation put forth by Gall et al. (2006).

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: First, they cited the similarities by stating: “In practice, evaluators make substantial use of the research designs, measurement tools, and data analysis techniques that constitute the methodology of educational research” (p. 543). Despite the use of many methods in educational research, there are differences. Gall et al. (2006) outlined three differences between research and evaluation. One difference is that the actual impetus for the evaluation is initiated by someone other than the researcher, and the use of the outcome information is to make decisions about policies, programs, or management activities (Gall et al., 2006). A program evaluator is frequently hired or requested to complete an evaluation by an organization, an administrator, or a governmental body to assist in making specific decisions. Conversely, a research study is conducted to uncover information about a particular phenomenon or issue. Research is much more broadly based in focus, and the focus is on the researcher’s interests. A second difference, according to Gall et al. (2006), is the degree to which the results are generalized. Evaluation is designed to answer a specific set of questions for a particular group, organization, or agency. Research, on the other hand, is intended to generate outcomes that provide results on a much broader scale, to generalize back to a large target population. The third difference between evaluation and research concerns the emphasis on value judgments (Gall et al., 2006). Evaluation is engaged in making conclusions that may involve judgment about the worth of a program, whereas research is intended to uncover evidence that is more in the nature of discovery.