Papers by Miri Levin-Rozalis
Evaluation, Oct 1, 2000
Evaluation is afflicted by a number of ethical and methodological problems. A major problem is th... more Evaluation is afflicted by a number of ethical and methodological problems. A major problem is the difficulty evaluation has in maintaining itself as an independent, autonomous discipline. An answer to these problems is often sought by recourse to the more structured field of research, even though the canonical logic of research and its criteria are not suitable for most work in which evaluation as a discipline is required. A possible solution for this dilemma can be found in the work of the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce. According to Peirce, the decision to adopt a new hypothesis by a scientist, researcher or, for our purposes, evaluator is as logical a process as deduction or induction. Peirce calls this process ‘abduction’. The evaluator, much like the scientist working through a process of discovery, raises hypotheses that stem from the field being evaluated. By adopting Peirce's methods we can build a logical methodological framework for the process of evaluation. Such a methodology can then provide criteria similar to those used for research, but without losing the unique approach provided by the discipline of evaluation.
The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, Mar 1, 2005
Following Footsteps are reports of efforts to trace former participants of early childhood projec... more Following Footsteps are reports of efforts to trace former participants of early childhood projects and programmes. They are studies that follow the progress of the children, their families, the workers, the communities or the organisations five or more years down the line to find out how they are faring. Some of the programmes were originally supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation; others were not. Some of the studies were commissioned by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, while others were not. Each of the programmes studied is unique, and the methods used for tracing, gathering data and analysing are many and varied. As a whole, the studies will contribute to our understanding of the effects, and effectiveness, of early childhood programmes. About the series Following Footsteps is a sub-series of Early Childhood Development: Practice and Reflections. The series as a whole addresses issues of importance to practitioners, policy makers and academics concerned with meeting the educational and developmental needs of disadvantaged children in developing and industrial societies. Contributions to this series are welcomed. They can be drawn from theory or practice, and can be a maximum of 30,000 words. Information about contributing to the series can be obtained from Diane Lemieux, Series Editor, Department of Programme Documentation and Communication at the address given on the back cover. Copyright is held by the Bernard van Leer Foundation. Unless otherwise stated, however, papers may be quoted and photocopied for non-commercial purposes without prior permission. Citations should be given in full, giving the Foundation as source.
The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, Mar 1, 2008
Evaluation and Program Planning, Nov 1, 2010
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright Author's personal copy Cybernetics: A possible solution for the ''knowledge gap'' between ''external'' and ''internal'' in evaluation processes
The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, Sep 1, 2003
This article discusses the similarities and dissimilarities between research and evaluation, whic... more This article discusses the similarities and dissimilarities between research and evaluation, which are two clearly differentiated disciplines despite their similarity in concepts, tools, and methods. The purpose of research is to enlarge the body of scientific knowledge; the purpose of evaluation is to provide useful feedback to program managers and entrepreneurs. In this article I examine the central characteristics of research and evaluation (validity, generalization, theory and hypotheses, relevance, and causality) and the different roles those characteristics play in each. I discuss the different functions of evaluation and research, and propose some criteria for fulfilling the different demands of evaluation and research. And I argue that the constant pressure to examine evaluations by the criteria of research prevents evaluation from becoming an independent discipline and delays the development of standards and criteria that are useful to evaluators.
International journal of qualitative methods, Jun 1, 2004
This article looks at the process of doing research "from scratch." The author began a project in... more This article looks at the process of doing research "from scratch." The author began a project investigating children of Ethiopian origin living in Israel to see how ones who attended a kindergartern program years earlier differed from those who had not attended. However, the problem from the outset was that there may not be a difference to find. In this article, the author compares inductive, deductive, and abductive reasoning, and argues that abductive reasoning is the proper technique when nothing is known about the research at the outset.
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana eBooks, Nov 30, 2018
Presses de l’Université de Montréal eBooks, Jan 24, 2018
This followup study traced the progress of one program assisting Jewish Ethiopian immigrants to I... more This followup study traced the progress of one program assisting Jewish Ethiopian immigrants to Israel and their children, the Parents Cooperative Kindergarten (PCK) in Beer-Sheva, and examined its impact 10 years after program participation. The PCK was a daily program for young children run by paraprofessional counselors, all women from the Ethiopian community, with mothers attending on a rotational basis. Two groups of former participants were identified, along with two groups of children of Ethiopian origin of similar age from the same neighborhoods who had not participated and one group of children of the same age who were not of Ethiopian origin. Data collection methods included interviewsof children and their parents, and teacher ratings of children's scholastic and social abilities, achievement, and parent-school relationships. The main areas in which differences were found between PCK children and the comparison groups were in the organization of their activities and thinking, their activeness and initiative-taking, their perception of studies and school, the importance of home and family, their sense of belonging to the Ethiopian community, their ability to express emotion, and the nature of their social interactions. A majority of PCK children were rated by their teachers as having high scholastic ability, moderate to high scholastic achievement, and moderate to very high verbal skills. However, compared to the comparison group, a majority of the same children were perceived as not showing an interest or investing any effort in their studies, as not fully using their ability, and as not being interested in getting help or getting ahead. Mothers who participated in the kindergarten gained insights into the Israeli education system and its approach to organization and schedules, and learned different methods of disciplining their children. It was concluded that participation in the kindergarten had a long-term effect on the lives of both children and parents. (Contains 31 references.) (KB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the oriainal document. About Following 1-titMeps Following Footsteps are reports of efforts to trace former participants of early childhood projects and programmes. They are studies that follow the progress of the children, their families, the workers, the communities or the organisations five or more years down the line to find out how they are faring. Some of the programmes were originally supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation; others were not. Some of the studies were commissioned by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, while others were not. Each of the programmes studied is unique, and the methods used for tracing, gathering data and analysing are many and varied. As a whole, the studies will contribute to our understanding of the effects, and effectiveness, of early childhood programmes. ,thitut the serie.s Following-Footstepgis a sub2seriegotEarly,Childhood:DevelopmentPractice and Reflections. The series as a whole addresses issues of importance to practitioners, policy makers and academics concerned with meeting the educational and developmental needs of disadvantaged children in developing and industrial societies. Contributions to this series are welcomed. They can be drawn from theory or practice, and can be a maximum of 30,000 words. Information about contributing to the series can be obtained from Diane Lemieux, Series Editor, Department of Programme Documentation and Communication at the address given on the back cover. Copyright is held by the Bernard van Leer Foundation. Unless otherwise stated, however, papers may be quoted and photocopied for non-commercial purposes without prior permission. Citations should be given in full, giving the Foundation as source.
Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, Oct 5, 2009
Background: Two kinds of research logic prevail in scientific research: deductive research logic ... more Background: Two kinds of research logic prevail in scientific research: deductive research logic and inductive research logic. However, both fail in the field of evaluation, especially evaluation conducted in unfamiliar environments. Purpose: In this article I wish to suggest the application of a research logic-abduction-the logic of discovery-which is powerful and very effective in constructing and validating explanations of new phenomena (evaluation findings, in particular). Setting: The primary focus of the article is theoretic with a case example illustrating the practice of using the logic of discovery.
Theory & Psychology, Feb 1, 2007
The research reported here attempts to reveal the complex relationships between `law' and... more The research reported here attempts to reveal the complex relationships between `law' and social behavior. The assumption is that social representations are the socio-cognitive mechanism that creates social behavior; thus, revealing the social representation of `law' can give us an explanation of social behavior as it is related to law. The social representation of law among members of the divided Israeli society is very complex. It simultaneously embodies obedience to and violation of the law, freedom and limitations, negative experiences, and criticism of the law, together with an understanding of its importance. The social representations of the law among our interviewees permits them to experience a feeling of autonomy, while keeping behavior within normative limits to uphold the law. Interviewees were also found to believe that the law is the strongest instrument available to ensure that society is protected and the status quo preserved. The law is seen as the defender of democracy, the weapon for coping with unstable security and the guardian against social and political chaos. By revealing the complex construct of the social representations of `law', we reveal the mechanism that controls the social behavior related to `law', including obedience or disobedience and the social logic for these behaviors.
Background: Two kinds of research logic prevail in scientific research: deductive research logic ... more Background: Two kinds of research logic prevail in scientific research: deductive research logic and inductive research logic. However, both fail in the field of evaluation, especially evaluation conducted in unfamiliar environments. Purpose: In this article I wish to suggest the application of a research logic-abduction-the logic of discovery-which is powerful and very effective in constructing and validating explanations of new phenomena (evaluation findings, in particular). Setting: The primary focus of the article is theoretic with a case example illustrating the practice of using the logic of discovery.
Tous les chapitres de cette nouvelle edition ont ete ecrits par des pedagogues, des enseignants u... more Tous les chapitres de cette nouvelle edition ont ete ecrits par des pedagogues, des enseignants universitaires et des formateurs rompus depuis de longues annees a l’exercice du partage de connaissances en evaluation de programmes, tout en mettant l’accent sur la pratique plutot que sur la theorie. Nous avons ajoute quatre nouveaux chapitres, car les connaissances en evaluation evoluent constamment, sur la strategie de l’etude de cas, l’evaluation economique, les approches participatives ou encore l’approche dite realiste. Il manquait dans la premiere edition des exemples relatifs a l’usage des methodes mixtes, decrites dans la premiere partie. Deux nouveaux chapitres viennent donc combler cette lacune. Un defi essentiel auquel fait face tout enseignant en evaluation est lie a la maitrise de la grande diversite des approches evaluatives et des types d’evaluation. La seconde partie de l’ouvrage presente quelques etudes de cas choisies pour montrer clairement comment les concepts qui auront ete exposes sont employes dans la pratique. Ces chapitres recouvrent plusieurs domaines disciplinaires et proposent divers exemples de pratiques evaluatives.
Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation
This article discusses the similarities and dissimilarities between research and evaluation, whic... more This article discusses the similarities and dissimilarities between research and evaluation, which are two clearly differentiated disciplines despite their similarity in concepts, tools, and methods. The purpose of research is to enlarge the body of scientific knowledge; the purpose of evaluation is to provide useful feedback to program managers and entrepreneurs. In this article I examine the central characteristics of research and evaluation (validity, generalization, theory and hypotheses, relevance, and causality) and the different roles those characteristics play in each. I discuss the different functions of evaluation and research, and propose some criteria for fulfilling the different demands of evaluation and research. And I argue that the constant pressure to examine evaluations by the criteria of research prevents evaluation from becoming an independent discipline and delays the development of standards and criteria that are useful to evaluators.
Journal of Assessment and Accountability in …, 2010
... majority not. Perhaps the most significant action taken by NAME in this context was to set st... more ... majority not. Perhaps the most significant action taken by NAME in this context was to set standards for the professional knowledge of evaluators in the field of education (Hartaf, Ganor, Rom, & Shilton, 2007). The second was ...
Journal of Early Childhood Research, 2004
Does an early childhood program have an influence on its participants that is detectable 10 years... more Does an early childhood program have an influence on its participants that is detectable 10 years later? The answer is yes. This research managed to detect differences between children of Ethiopian origin who had immigrated to Israel. It also managed to generalize and conceptualize these differences and provide an explanation of them: The program began a process of individuation that reinforced itself over the years. The research process succeeded in doing so through the use of a combination of research logic (abduction) and a research method (projective techniques); a combination especially effective where the researcher had no advance hypotheses and no well-defined research variables.
Evaluation, 2000
Evaluation is afflicted by a number of ethical and methodological problems. A major problem is th... more Evaluation is afflicted by a number of ethical and methodological problems. A major problem is the difficulty evaluation has in maintaining itself as an independent, autonomous discipline. An answer to these problems is often sought by recourse to the more structured field of research, even though the canonical logic of research and its criteria are not suitable for most work in which evaluation as a discipline is required. A possible solution for this dilemma can be found in the work of the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce. According to Peirce, the decision to adopt a new hypothesis by a scientist, researcher or, for our purposes, evaluator is as logical a process as deduction or induction. Peirce calls this process ‘abduction’. The evaluator, much like the scientist working through a process of discovery, raises hypotheses that stem from the field being evaluated. By adopting Peirce's methods we can build a logical methodological framework for the process of evaluat...
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Papers by Miri Levin-Rozalis
Through these dialogues, important considerations for understanding, conceptualizing, and carrying out evaluation in all sorts of programs and projects are discussed, providing thought-provoking answers regardless of one’s own approach to evaluation. While each chapter can stand alone, together they provide a coherent professional world view, giving the reader an in-depth understanding of program evaluation as a vital independent profession based on a broad foundation of research and theoretical knowledge.
With more than thirty years of experience in evaluation, Dr. Miri Levin-Rozalis has served as senior lecturer and head of evaluation at Ben-Gurion University, where she was also the head of the graduate and post-graduate evaluation programs. At the Mofet Institute, she was co-head of the evaluation and measurement program for teachers’ trainers. And for several years, she was chairperson of the Israeli Association for Program Evaluation (IAPE), which she helped to establish. She is currently an organizational learning coordinator at the Davidson Institute of Science Education at the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Both theoretical and practical, this text is an important resource for practitioners, students enrolled in Program Evaluation courses in a variety of disciplines such as education, management, public administration, and social work and their teachers.
Keywords: Program Evaluation; Evaluation Theory; Philosophy of Evaluation; Evaluation Ethics; Abduction; Cybernetics.
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