Tackling Wicked Problems in Complex Ecologies
Tackling Wicked Problems in Complex Ecologies

Author: Rodney Hopson

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2018-05-01

Total Pages: 379

ISBN-13: 1503605566

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Tackling Wicked Problems in Complex Ecologies is a call to action, focusing on the role that evaluators can play in addressing social and economic problems. Evaluation extends beyond theories and methods, encompassing a range of proven approaches for addressing ecological complexities that drive inequities around the globe. Bringing together leading thinkers and problem-solvers, this collection traverses the range of contexts at the frontiers of the field—from inadequate food supply and housing to unemployment and poverty. Editors Rodney Hopson and Fiona Cram demonstrate the effects of an engaged approach to evaluation, in which three considerations take center stage: its relevance, the relationships it engenders, and the responsibilities it requires. This is a handbook for tackling the social and economic problems of the twenty-first century which, though wicked, are amenable to the tools of the trade.

Exploring Wicked Problems
Exploring Wicked Problems

Author: Joseph Bentley PhD

Publisher: Archway Publishing

Published: 2020-04-21

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1480889458

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Former Secretary of State George Shultz once drew a distinction between “problems you can solve and problems you can only work at.” These two types of problems have names: They are tame or wicked. Many people believe that their problems are “wicked,” yet few seem to understand what should be done with them. Wicked problems are messy, confusing, unstable, ill-structured, and ambiguous. This book explores the timely issue of wicked problems – what they are and why they are important. The authors open the door to a greater understanding of wicked problems and an appreciation for their complexity, sharing insights and recommendations on how to tackle them to make positive and productive changes in relationships, at home, and at work. Making one’s way successfully through the mess of obstacles and impediments that wicked problems present puts maximum pressure on our capabilities and stretches our tolerance for confusion, conflict, controversy, and chaos. Get guidance on grappling with the wicked problems in your life by increasing your knowledge about what they are and why they are so important to keep working at – even if they can’t be completely resolved.

Race and Culturally Responsive Inquiry in Education
Race and Culturally Responsive Inquiry in Education

Author: Stafford L. Hood

Publisher: Harvard Education Press

Published: 2022-08-16

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 1682537544

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Race and Culturally Responsive Inquiry in Education examines how assumptions about race and culture have shaped US education research and the interpretation and implementation of its results. This ambitious volume sheds light on the detrimental effects of educational praxis and policies that have characterized communities of color and historically underserved communities as deficient. It reveals how such bias has affected many facets of educational inquiry, from research design and planning to education policy making and evaluation practices. The provocative essays in this work challenge traditional suppositions about whose evidence matters, highlighting approaches for reframing educational inquiry and arguing for the adoption of a culturally responsive stance that can correct inequities by accounting for students’ diverse backgrounds and needs. Edited by Stafford L. Hood, Henry T. Frierson, Rodney K. Hopson, and Keena N. Arbuthnot and featuring contributions from leading and emerging scholars, the collection is organized around three key areas—education research, educational assessment, and program evaluation. The contributors identify provocative problems that exist at the intersection of race and education in these areas, and they illuminate the many ways in which education reform can address intersectionality. Calling for effective action, they suggest compelling solutions for consideration by policy makers and practitioners as well as researchers. Together, the essays in this volume make the case that culturally responsive methods that deepen our understanding of educational disparities, appropriately measure what students know and can do, and ensure that we have accurate information about the effectiveness of educational interventions can improve educational outcomes for diverse learners.

Philosophical Foundations of Mixed Methods Research
Philosophical Foundations of Mixed Methods Research

Author: Yafeng Shan

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-12-01

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 100380604X

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Philosophical Foundations of Mixed Methods Research provides a comprehensive examination of the philosophical foundations of mixed methods research. It offers new defences of the seven main approaches to mixed methods (the pragmatist approach, the transformative approach, the indigenous approach, the dialectical approach, the dialectical pluralist approach, the performative approach, and the realist approach) written by leading mixed methods researchers. Each approach is accompanied by critical reflections chapter from philosophers’ point of view. The book shows the value of the use of mixed methods from a philosophical point of view and offers a systematic and critical examination of these positions and approaches from a philosophical point of view. The volume also offers a platform to promote a dialogue between mixed methods researchers and philosophers of science and provides foundations for further research and teaching of this hotly debated topic. This volume is ideal for researchers and advanced students, and anyone who is interested in research methods and the social sciences more generally.

Culturally Responsive Approaches to Evaluation
Culturally Responsive Approaches to Evaluation

Author: Jill Anne Chouinard

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2019-09-27

Total Pages: 195

ISBN-13: 1506368522

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Evaluators have always worked in diverse communities, and the programs they evaluate are designed to address often intractable socio-political and economic issues. Evaluations that explicitly aim to be more responsive to culture and cultural context are, however, a more recent phenomenon. In this book, Jill Anne Chouinard and Fiona Cram utilize a conceptual framework that foregrounds culture in social inquiry, and then uses that framework to analyze empirical studies across three distinct cultural domains of evaluation practice (Western, Indigenous and international development). Culturally Responsive Approaches to Evaluation provide a comparative analysis of these studies and discuss lessons drawn from them in order to help evaluators extend their current thinking and practice. They conclude with an agenda for future research.

Evaluation in Today’s World
Evaluation in Today’s World

Author: Veronica G. Thomas

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2020-08-27

Total Pages: 585

ISBN-13: 1544348177

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Evaluation in Today’s World: Respecting Diversity, Improving Quality, and Promoting Usability covers theoretical and practical issues related to evaluation of programs with an emphasis on viewing evaluation topics through a social justice, diversity, and inclusive perspective.

Research Handbook on Program Evaluation
Research Handbook on Program Evaluation

Author: Kathryn E. Newcomer

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2024-06-05

Total Pages: 729

ISBN-13: 180392828X

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In the Research Handbook on Program Evaluation, an impressive range of authors take stock of the history and current standing of key issues and debates in the evaluation field. Examining current literature of program evaluation, the Research Handbook assesses the field's status in a post-pandemic and social justice-oriented world, examining today’s theoretical and practical concerns and proposing how they might be resolved by future innovations. This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.

Evaluating Environment in International Development
Evaluating Environment in International Development

Author: Juha I. Uitto

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-03-30

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 1000364100

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This book provides novel and in-depth perspectives on evaluating environment and sustainability issues in developing countries. Evaluating Environment in International Development focuses on the approaches and experiences of leading international organizations, not-for-profits, and multilateral and bilateral aid agencies to illustrate how systematic evaluation is an essential tool for providing evidence for decision-makers. Moving beyond projects and programmes, it explores normative work on the environment as well as environmental consequences of economic and social development efforts. This new edition reflects on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals and considers how they have influenced efforts in a wide range of countries and what the implications are for evaluation. It also explores ways in which Big Data and geospatial approaches might be utilized. Significantly updated throughout to reflect recent developments in climate change research, and on the implications of the 2020 pandemic, this volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of environment studies, development studies, international relations, sustainable development and evaluation, as well as practitioners in international organizations and development and environmental NGOs. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781003094821, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Ethical Issues in Community and Patient Stakeholder–Engaged Health Research
Ethical Issues in Community and Patient Stakeholder–Engaged Health Research

Author: Emily E. Anderson

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-10-31

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 3031403797

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This book provides in-depth analyses of a wide range of topics surrounding ethical issues in community and patient stakeholder–engaged health research, and highlights where consensus exists, is emerging, or remains elusive. Topics in this book cover the history of stakeholder engagement in health research; how codes of ethics and regulations have (or have not) addressed stakeholder engagement; how to promote equitable collaboration; the ethical perspectives of different stakeholders; and the unique challenges posed by stakeholder- engaged research to the protection of human research participants and the research ethics review process. The book includes discussion of unique issues that arise in stakeholder engagement relevant to different populations, settings, and research designs. This book is relevant for anyone with a role or interest in stakeholder-engaged research, including patient and community research partners; academic researchers; research ethics scholars and educators; and funders.

Utilization-Focused Evaluation
Utilization-Focused Evaluation

Author: Michael Quinn Patton

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2021-10-11

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 1544379471

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The Fifth Edition of the bestselling Utilization-Focused Evaluation provides expert, detailed advice on conducting evaluations that promote effective use of the findings. Chock full of useful pedagogy, this book presents Michael Quinn Patton′s distinctive opinions based on more than forty years of experience, and also the expertise of new co-author Charmagne E. Campbell-Patton. The authors begin by describing the essence of utilization-focused evaluation, and then outline 10 operating principles. They conclude with chapters focused on how evaluation can be used to promote a more thoughtful, equitable, and sustainable world. Richly illustrated with examples, figures, and cartoons, this engaging text shows readers how to design and conduct evaluations that provide useful findings, and which contribute to a more equitable society. A companion website is available to accompany this book.