Evaluation is often the final step in running social betterment programs. For improvement, evaluation findings inform program planners and stakeholders about program shortcomings. However, interest has recently grown in applying evaluation tools and principles to programs from the design stage, to improve planning. We discuss the application of a relatively new evaluation tool, the action model/change model schema, for guiding the planning of a large-scale education program, the Learning Community under Leadership for Learning (Learning Community Program) in Taiwan and serving as a framework for evaluation at the same time. We organized work-group meetings for the development of an action model/change model schema for the Learning Community Program. The participants discussed the components of the schema and how they related to the program, as well as the lessons learned from the experience of developing the schema. Content analysis was applied to the qualitative data collected during the work-group meetings. The participants indicated that the schema provided an effective platform for discussing and developing the program plan. The schema also stimulated critical thinking, helped identify the major components of the program, and provided a holistic guide for the evaluation design. The action model/change model schema is a relatively new tool used by evaluators to assist stakeholders in describing or designing a program more effectively. Few published articles discuss its applications in public health programs. This study investigated the application of the schema to an education program outside the United States. The lessons learned from this application can promote the schema as an effective tool for planning and designing the evaluation of education and other programs, as well as encourage the use of evaluation planning tools for strengthening program designs in the future.
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Contemporary Educational Research Quarterly, 25(1), p. 109-131
