Master's theses (SEAS)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dlibrary.aiu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/670

Browse

Filters

20211

Settings

Author: search.filters.author.Harriet Akugizibwe Caroline KintuStart date: 2020

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    program evaluation
    (Africa International University, 2021-07) Harriet Akugizibwe Caroline Kintu
    Higher education in Africa has marked a rise not only in the number of institutions, academic programs and students, but also in monitoring and evaluation of its processes and products. However, there is still scanty evidence of whether or how the evaluation results are used and what factors affect their use or non-use. This quantitative study examined the correlation between Program Evaluation (PE) purposes, human and context factors, and the use of PE results in selected Chartered Christian Universities (CCUs) in Kenya. A census of program leaders of 50 accredited, operational and re-evaluated academic programs in three CCUs was carried out. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Chi-square tests and logistic regression models were used for bivariate and multivariate analyses respectively. Bivariate analyses revealed that faculty and staff evaluation skills, involvement and commitment to use the results had a moderate, positive and statistically significant correlation with the use of PE results. The researcher recommends enactment of institutional policies and evaluation practices that will increase faculty and staff level of evaluation skills, participation and commitment to use evaluation results, since these human factors tend to enhance the use of evaluation results. However, there were no significant relationships between context factors and use of PE results. There was a strong, positive and significant association between accountability to funders and sponsors and use of evaluation results. There was also a moderate, positive and significant association between program improvement purpose and use of evaluation results. Furthermore, multivariate analyses revealed that, use of evaluation results differs by the purpose of evaluation. In logistic regression model 1, sponsor and donor mandates are likely to promote the use of evaluation at Exp (B) = .024, p value = .004. The findings suggest that, when PE is done for accountability to funders and sponsors, the results are .024 times more likely to be used. Moreover, model 2 logistic regression analysis findings demonstrated that motivation to improve the program is a more critical determining factor as to whether the evaluation results will be used or not (p value of .012 and Exp (B) = 12.633). This suggests that when PE is done for improvement, the results are 12.633 times more likely to be used. However, in both models 1 and 2, human factors did not have a significant effect on the odds of using the evaluation results. Based on the findings, the purpose of doing evaluation is a more significant contributor to the likelihood of using the evaluation results than other factors. The initiator of evaluation tends to specify the purpose of evaluation, which in turn is likely to determine the use or non-use of the results. PE done for the purpose of program improvement is the most critical purpose of PE (p value of .012 and Exp (B) = 12.633), more than external mandates such as sponsors and funders (Exp (B) = .024, p value = .004) in regard to the use of evaluation results to modify or inform a program component. The researcher therefore, recommends that, to foster use of evaluation results, institutions should give prominence to PE purpose, more specifically to program improvement as a reason for conducting PE.