ERIC Number: EJ819639
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Jul
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1570-0763
EISSN: N/A
Data Use Leads to Data Valuing: Evaluative Inquiry for School Decision Making
Cousins, J. Bradley; Goh, Swee C.; Clark, Shannon
Leadership and Policy in Schools, v5 n2 p155-176 Jul 2006
Despite growing interest in evaluative inquiry as a trigger for development of organizational learning capacity, there exists a paucity of empirical research in this area. This is particularly the case in the context of schools, where systematic inquiry to support decision making and problem solving is hardly a mainstream activity. The purpose of the present inquiry was to examine the nature and benefits of systematic inquiry in schools and to understand forces that serve to enhance or impede schools propensity to embrace evaluative inquiry as a support for decision making. We selected four schools that, on the basis of a prior field survey, scored relatively high on organizational learning capacity, evaluative inquiry, organizational readiness for evaluation, and evaluation processes. Interview, focus group, and document data were collected on two site visits. Results show considerable breadth in inquiry activities to which a range of benefits accrue. Among the most salient factors supporting school-based evaluative inquiry were leadership and an increase in valuing of data as a result of using them. We discuss the results in terms of their implications for further research. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Data, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Inquiry, Evaluation, Learning, Foreign Countries, Readiness, School Culture, School Administration, Interviews, Focus Groups, Middle Schools, Secondary Schools
Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A