Capturing the Added Value of Participatory Evaluation

Abstract

Narrative case studies have shown that, when people are involved in an evaluation of a program they are part of, it can change how they experience the program. This study used a quasi-experiment to test this proposition empirically in the context a participatory action research curriculum called Youth as Researchers. Half of all Youth as Researcher groups engaged in a participatory evaluation (PE) of their program experience through writing reflective essays, creating their own evaluation questions, and conducting peer interviews. The other half served as control groups and did not engage in the PE activities. Pre-/posttest surveys and focus group data were used to assess differences among the experimental and control groups. Study results show that participants in the experiment had important differences in their experiences in the program as a result of participation in the evaluation. Implications for future practice and research are also explored.