Ph.D. Student University of Massachusetts Lowell, United States
This study explores how groups of students co-navigate a course-based, real-world student program evaluation. As part of the second course in a two-course sequence in program evaluation, graduate students were placed in teams to conduct a semester-long, real-world evaluation project and a simultaneous research project in evaluation. This study addresses the need for empirical studies on evaluation education, especially studies including student voice (King & Ayoo, 2020). It also investigates how one graduate evaluation program trains students in identified skill gaps of novice evaluators: interpersonal skills, project and team management, and practical research design (Dewey et al., 2008). This single case study addresses three research questions: (1) How do students on an evaluation team develop their concept of teamwork in evaluation? (2) What skills emerge for students from participation on an evaluation team as novice evaluators?, and (3) What challenges do student evaluation teams encounter and how are these challenges met? Data were collected through a duo-ethnography of the authors, who were two students in the class; focus groups of additional student groups; and an interview of the course instructor. Analyses focus on themes of teamwork as well as intended and unintended student outcomes. This study has implications for the teaching practices of evaluation and the preparation of professional evaluators.
