The Roles of Evaluation for Education and Training: Plain Talk on the Field of Dreams

The authors of this book work from the premise that some plain talk is needed about the subject of evaluation in vocational education and training. After providing background information on the conceptual issues involved, the authors focus on the why and how of evaluation before presenting and judging the results of available evaluations.

The discussion encompasses the use and abuse of available evaluation results in policymaking and the implications for evaluation of recent trends and issues in vocational education and training, such as the impact of decentralization, the declining role for governments, the shift toward work-based learning, and the effects of vocational education and training on equity.