| Roundtable: Evaluating What Works in Education: Causation or Context |
| Roundtable Presentation 814 to be held in Suwannee 18 on Saturday, Nov 14, 11:50 AM to 12:35 PM |
| Sponsored by the AEA Conference Committee |
| Presenter(s): |
| Randall Davies, Brigham Young University, randy.davies@byu.edu |
| Abstract: Is it possible to NOT incorporate context into our evaluation inquiries? When attempting to determine best practices and what works in educational program evaluations, are the questions causal or contextual? This paper argues that in educational research and evaluation, often what we assume to be causal questions are actually by nature contextual. Understanding the context of our inquiries is the foundation for rigorous and valid observations. Understanding the true nature of the learner in the teaching and learning process is essential to any evaluation of educational programs. |