Evaluation as research

What is evaluation research?

Evaluation is a form of investigation which results in a judgement about something. Traditional evaluation asks, 'Does this work?' or 'What works?' Many forms of evaluation attempt to understand or explain something after it has occurred, for example, 'How has this group of students received this module?' 'Was small group teaching effective for this particular course? The focus is often on outcomes or summative evaluation. Formative evaluation can be undertaken as a project progresses and will feed back into activities so that they can be developed in an ongoing way. In a type of evaluation known as Realist (or Realistic) Evaluation, Pawson and Tilley (1997) suggest that the aim is to discover what works for whom in what circumstances by discovering the mechanisms that are at work in particular contexts. In this type of theory-driven evaluation, the researchers set out to test hypotheses about the specific, unique, interaction of contexts, mechanisms and outcomes.
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