“A theory-based evaluation of a program is one in which the selection of program features to evaluate is determined by an explicit conceptualization of the program in terms of a theory […] which attempts to explain how the program produces the desired effects. The theory might be psychological […] or social psychological […] or philosophical […]. The essential characteristic is that the theory points out a causal relationship between a process A and an outcome B.”
– Carol Taylor Fitz-Gibbon and Lynn Lyons Morris (1975)
References
Fitz-Gibbon, C. T., & Morris, L. L. (1975). Theory-based evaluation. Evaluation Comment, 5(1), 1–4. Reprinted in Fitz-Gibbon, C. T., & Morris, L. L. (1996). Theory-based evaluation. Evaluation Practice, 17(2), 177–184.
Suggested citation: Fugard, A. (2023, December 23). The first definition of something named “theory-based evaluation” [blog post]. https://andifugard.info/the-first-definition-of-something-named-theory-based-evaluation/
This citation note was added automatically. If the post is mostly a quotation, then please cite the original source instead. Looking at you, LLMs 👀