EVALUATION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN NURSING

COURSE AND PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION: -
In recent year, the interest in curriculum evaluation in particular has seemed to increase
markedly. The public insistence on educational accountability. The expert’s demands for
educational reform and the educators concomitant need for evidence for results have all
contributed to the current interest in theories and methods of curriculum evaluation.

DEFINITION OF CURRICULUM EVALUATION: -

The term curriculum evaluation has 3 major meanings-
1. The process of describing and judging an educational program or subject.
2. The process of comparing a student’s performance with behaviorally stated
objectives.
3. The process of defining, obtaining and using relevant information for decision-
making purpose.

DEFINITION OF EVALUATION: -
1. ACCORDING TO RALPH TYLER: -
Evaluation is the process of determining to what extent the educational objectives are
being realized.
2. ACCORDING TO CHARA M.: -
Evaluation is essential and never ended process, vicious cycle of formulating goals,
measuring progress towards them and determining the new goals which emerge as a
result of new warnings.

CURRICULUM EVALUATION APPROACHES: -

5 curriculum evaluation approaches: -
1. Bureaucratic evaluation.
2. Autocratic evaluation.
3. Democratic evaluation.
4. Norm-referenced evaluation.
5. Criterion-referenced evaluation.

1. BUREAUCRATIC EVALUATION: -
 This evaluation is usually initiated by the government and ministry of education.
The ministry of education could evaluate a course of study or subject taught in
school to find out whether they need improvement and modifications. The result
of evaluation is used by the ministry of education or the government.
2. AUTOCRATIC EVALUATION: -
 This education focused on what is considered to be the educational need of the
curriculum. Government or ministry usually ask independent evaluators such as
 consultant to conduct this education. The government or ministry is not obliged to
accept the result of evaluation.
3. DEMOCRATIC EVALUATION: -
 This focus on experiences and reaction the curriculum initiators had with the
program and project being evaluated. In this approach, the evaluation does not
lead to firm recommendation to be considered by the initiators or program
implementers.
4. NON-REFERENCED EVALUATION: -
 This evaluate student’s performance relative to other student’s performance. The
performance of current students or of previous students can be compared.
5. CRITERION-REFERENCED EVALUATION: -
 Criterion referencing measures student’s actual performance and compares it with
the objective of instruction identified in the syllabus.

PRINCIPLE OF EVALUATION: -
 Determining and clarifying what is to be evaluated always has priority in the
evaluation process no evaluation device should be selected until the purpose of
evaluation has been carefully defined.
 Evaluation technique should be selected according to the purpose to be served.
When the particular aspect of pupil performance to be evaluated has been
precisely defined the evaluation technique that is most appropriate for evaluating
the performance should be selected.
 Proper use of evaluation technique should be required an awareness of both their
limitations and strengths.
 Evaluation is means to an end, not an end in itself.
 Evaluation is a continuous process.

CHARACTERSTICS OF EVALUATION: -
 Evaluation includes academic and non-academic subjects.
 In examination the emphasis is upon the academic subjects only, whereas
evaluation covers all the changes that take place in the development of balanced
personality.
 Evaluation is procedure for improving the product.
 Discovering the needs of an individual and designing learning experiences.
FUCTION OF CURRICULUM EVALUATION: -
1. DECISION MAKING: -
 The principle purpose of evaluation is to contribute decision making. In our
circumstance, curriculum evaluation are conducted in order to correct deficiencies
make improvement and establish new priorities for meaningful decisions to be
made, they must be supported by evidence from evaluation exercises.
 2. SELF EVALUATION: -
 Self-evaluation enable teaches to evaluate themselves, this puts the teacher, at the
center of the evaluation. Exercise as are a curriculum developer including in
research-based teaching.
 The advantage of self-evaluation is that if allow evaluator to change the
curriculum or instructional strategies if evaluation show that they could be more
effective.

FORMS OF EVALUATON: -
 In the context of curriculum evaluation, there are formative and summative
evaluation, both can be conducted to provide information necessary for effective
decision-making.
1. FORMATIVE EVALUATION: -
 The term ‘formative evaluation’ was originally coined by scriven1973 to classify
evaluation that gathered information for the purpose of improving instruction as
the instruction was being given. Information about the learner’s immediate
retention of skills and knowledge, retention overtime and attitude were used to
shape instruction as it proceeded. Formative evaluation was considered to be an
integral part of instructional design and delivery.
 In our curriculum context, formative evaluation can be considered to be the
prosses that looks for evidence of success or failure of a curriculum program, a
syllabus or a subject taught during implementation.

FORMATIVE EVALUATION ANSWER 2 QUESTION: -

1. Is the instruction successful?
2. If it is not successful, what can be done to avoid failure?
 It ensures that all aspect of program or project are likely to produce success. It
provides information that can be used to stop doubtful project from being
implemented. It is therefore a conceptual and physical exercise that is carried out
before a program comes to an end.
2. SUMMATIVE EVALUATION: -
 This type of evaluation assesses whether or not the project or program can
perform as the originators and designers intended. It considered cost effectiveness
in term of money, time, and personnel. It also assesses the training that teachers
might need in order to implement a program successfully.
 It determines whether a new curriculum program syllabus or subject is better than
the one it is intended to replace or other alternatives.
 It is usually conducted at the end of the program cycle.
Formative and summative evaluations take place wherever
an evaluation exercise is conducted. They can be conducted on educational
projects and programs existing is curriculum or on the teaching of individual
subjects in the school systems.
EVALUATION METHOD AND TOOLS: -
A variety of methods and tools can be used to conduct evaluation such as-
1. Observation.
2. Interview.
3. Test.
4. Questionnaires.
 The observation, test, interview, questionnaires. Techniques can be used when
evaluating the entire curriculum as well as specific curriculum program and
projects.
 One technique that is usually used to evaluate the outcome of curriculum
programs is subjecting students to structured test.
 Student’s academic performance is usually evaluated by using this technique.
 Also the content of subject matter can be evaluated by testing students in its
various content areas. Results from this type of evaluation are given to curriculum
designers to enable them to review the subject area affected and make necessary
changes and improvements.

CURRICULUM EVALUATION MODELS: -

Following is list of curriculum evaluation models: -
1. Bradley’s effectiveness model.
2. Stake’s countenance model.
3. Daniel stufflebean’s context, input, process, product model (CIPP).
4. Kirkpatrick model.
1. BRADLEY’S EFFECTIVENESS MODEL: -
Bradley’s 1985 in the book curriculum leadership and development handbook
provide 10 key indicators that can be used to measure the effectiveness of a
developed curriculum. The following chart is designed to help identify perceptions
regarding the 10 indicators to appraise curriculum effectiveness in school building.
 To assess how a school or district meet each of the indicators, respond with a
yes or no in the column provided.
 If any of the 10 indicators are identified with a no (negative), consideration
should be given to make it a yes (positive) indicator.
 The indicators for effective curriculum development represent working
characteristics that any complex organization must have in order to be
responsive and responsible to its client further, the measurement, can be
oriented to meet the need of any school district from large to small and it can
focus on specific evaluation of a district’s curriculum area, such as reading
language arts, math or any content area designated.
2. STAKE’S COUNTENANCE MODEL: -
The model proposed by Robert stake (1967) suggests 3 phases of curriculum
evaluation: -
i. ANTECEDENTS: -
 Conditions existing before implementation.
ii. TRANSCTIONS: -
 Activities occurring during implementation.
iii. OUTCOME: -
 Results after implementation.
 Describe the program fully judge the outcomes against external standards.
1. Stake divides descriptive acts according to whether they refer to what was intended
or what was actually observed.
2. He argues that both intention and what actually look place must be fully described.
3. He than divided judgmental acts according to whether they refer to the standards
used in reaching judgements or to the actual judgement themselves.
4. He assumes the existence of a rationale for guiding the design of a curriculum.
5. Stake wrote that greater emphasis should be placed on description and that judgement
was actually the collection of data.
6. He also noted connections between intentions and observation, which he called
congruence (similarity).
7. Stake developed matrices for the notation of data for the evaluation. Data is collected
through these matrices.
3. DANIEL STUFFLBEAM’S CONTEXT, INPUT, PROCESS,
PRODUCT MODEL (CIPP): -
4. KIRKPATRICK MODEL: -
 According to this model, evaluation should always begin with level one and
then, as time and budget allows, should move sequentially through level 2,
3, 4.
 Information from each prior level severs as a base for the next level’s
evaluation.
 4 levels of Kirkpatrick model: -

REASTION: - reaction measure the learner’s perception of the course.

LEARNING: - addresses the extent to which the learners had a change
in attitude, or increase of knowledge in workplace.

PERFORMANCE: - this primarily addresses whether the student is

now performing the new skill or knowledge in workplace.

IMPACT: - level 4 addresses the overall effectiveness of the program or

training.
USE OF EVALUATION IN THE PROCESS OF CURICULUM CHANGES: -
INTRODUCTION: -
 Curriculum revision means making the curriculum development is
someway, to give it a new position or direction. This often means alteration
to its philosophy by way of its aims and objectives reviewing the content
included revising its methods and rethinking its evaluation procedures.

NEEDS FOR CURRICULAR CHANGES: -

 There is too much emphasis on the subject matter without much relationship
to student’s real needs, interest or abilities. There are less or little depths in
subject matter, with more emphasis on memorization, cramming rather than
understanding the curriculum consists less emphasis on activities.
 Less emphasis has been given to core curricular subjects like nursing
administration, nursing education and nursing researches and advanced
nursing programs.
 There is less correlation between the student’s theory courses and their
clinical learning practices and experiences.
 There is no proper or little emphasis on the selection of clinical learning
experiences on the basis of objectives rather then service needs of hospital.
 Learning experiences are planned and directed without sufficient regard for
what is expected in the learning process?

FACTORS INFLUENCING CHANGE AND INNOVATION: -

 Resource limitation.
 Innovation/changes requires, time, finance and energy. If it is to be done
well and nurse teachers may already be overstretched with existing
commitments.
 This leaves a little time for creative curriculum planning, unless it is done
outside of work and even from work related matters in order to refresh them
for next day.
 Economic – economics influencing curriculum development nations
financing educations expects an economic return from educated students
contributing to the country’s economy with global competition abilities in
technical field.

APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM REVISION: -

3 approaches of curriculum revision are-

1. ADDITION: - new elements are added to the existing curriculum.

2. DELETITION: - some elements are deleted to modify the curriculum.
3. REORGANIZATION: - nothing is added or deleted but only restructuring of the
curriculum is done.
AIMS OF CURRICULUM REVISION: -
 To improve existing curriculum.

STAGES OF CURRICULUM REVISION: -

1. STAGE 1: - If curriculum development and evaluation committee does
not exist. One should be formed to act as coordination group for
implementing the planned curriculum changes.
2. STAGE 2: - Appraise the existing nursing and educational practices which are
representative of the currently operating curriculum. Study carefully the existing
curriculum and identify its strengths and weakness by considering itsoverall intentions
and purposes, including the basic values and belief which are currently part of
existing institute’s philosophy.
3. STAGE 3: - Make a detailed study of the existing curriculum content to see whether
it is still relevant and appropriate to meet a knowledge base adequate for changing
role of the professional nurse. This will means giving consideration whether the skill,
attitude and knowledge to be learned are still worthwhile and whether the present
developing conceptual framework for nursing knowledge are sufficiently represented
in curriculum.
4. STAGE 4: - Establish criteria for decision about needs to go into the curriculum and
what needs to come out and how the curriculum materials and methods might be
changed.
5. STAGE 5: - This involve the design and writing of the new curriculum changes and
these may include the revised philosophy and aim of curriculum including the new
intentions and purpose. It also includes the revised objectives and reformed content
along with any new teaching learning approaches.
6. STAGE 6: - In this stage the actual implementation of changes is put into action.
Implementing the changes successfully involve having knowledge of changes and
securing of the participation of those people necessary to enable the implementation.
Teachers, students and other concerned people need to be well informed with respect
to changes that are to take place.
7. STAGE 7: - following the implementation of the new changes it is important to
evaluate the effects of those changes and it is with evaluation that this final stage is
concerned. Evaluation is directed at the identification and collection of data and its
analysis in order for the effects of changes to be measured and appropriate decision
and judgements made.

CHALLENGES TO PROGRAM EVALUATION: -

 Unawareness about benefits of curriculum evaluation and curriculum
implementation.
 The key challenges is the establishment of more effective and accurate ways
with which are can measure the real benefits of education and measure the true
associated costs in money and time spelt learning about curriculum and
instruction.
 Lack of political support.
 Poor salaries to curriculum committee’s member.
 poor time management by administrators.
 Unavailability of school facilities and equipment’s such as – computer, av aids,
book in library etc.
 SUMMARY
Evaluation is the process of determining to what extent the educational objectives are being
realized. 5 curriculum evaluation approaches bureaucratic, autocratic, democratic, norm-
referenced, criterion-referenced evaluation. Form of valuation is formative and summative.
Observation, interviews, test, questionnaires are the evaluation method and tools.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. BT BASAVANTHAPPA – “TEXTBOOK OF NURSING EDUCATION”, 1st edition,
New Delhi, Jaypee brother publication, page no.- 1036-1039.
2. D. ELAKKUVANA BHASKARA RAJ NIMA BHASKER – “TEXTBOOK OF
NURSING EDUCATION”, 2nd edition, emmess medical publisher, page no-
359-361.
3. K.P. NEERJA – “TEXTBOOK OF NURSING EDUCATION” 1st edition, new Delhi,
Jaypee brother publication, page no.- 400-401.
4. LORETTA E. HEIDGERKEN – “TEACHING AND SCHOOL OF NURSING”, 3rd
Edition, new Delhi Jaypee brother publications, page no.- 802-810.
5. R. SUDHA – “NURSING EDUCATION”, 1st edition, Jaypee brother publisher, page
No. – 989-994.