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MA/PhD Theses Abstracts of Current Students & Alumni |
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Metsch, Lawrence D., December 1992 - A QUALITATIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED DISCOVERIES
Abstract: This thesis is the result of a program evaluation of a faculty development workshop sponsored by The Center for Teaching Enhancement at the University of South Florida in the summer of 1991. It was found that the qualitative methods employed in anthropological research were useful in accomplishing this project. The thesis explains the benefits of this style of research and the reasons why certain techniques were used. As a researcher I found that the examination of written comments provided by those who participated in the program as well as the information from survey questionnaires were found to be effective and useful techniques incorporated in the design of the evaluation. Also, participant observation during the workshop and personal interviews following rounded out the research design. The success of the program was evaluated by the amount of the participants changes in attitudes and behaviors as a result of the workshops. It was determined that the Active Learning workshops did to some extent alter the teaching behaviors of those who had attended. This evaluation through its use of qualitative research methods uncovered both expected and unexpected results. These expected results included the initial trepidation of the participants towards the use of active learning techniques. The facilitators also expected the eventual acceptance of low risk activities that could be easily incorporated into most participants classes. Two results of the evaluation were unexpected. The first was that the participants in the workshops displayed behaviors that are described in social science literature as gender biased. Behaviors that favored the male participants and silenced the female were observed for a period during the program. The second unexpected result was the degree of intercommunication between participants of differing disciplines. By introducing participants who had previously not worked together it was found that they formed effective workshop groups.
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