Development of a Program Theory for Evaluating the Success of Education Reform Policy Implementation in Schools by Using Inductive and Deductive Approaches

Abstract

One of the problems found in the first decade of education reform in Thailand was practitioner's misunderstanding due to confused guidelines on educational management issued by the central authority. The purpose of this research is to develop a program theory using three approaches. A deductive approach focuses on stated policies and previous research. An inductive approach builds from observing the intervention in action. A mental model approach focuses on working with stakeholders to articulate their tacit understandings of how the intervention works. Data were collected through a variety of means: questionnaires sent to a sample of teachers and administrators, review of documents, and unstructured interviews with stakeholders. Using the method of structural equation modeling to analyze data related to the education reform policy implementation program, this study demonstrates how evaluation practitioners can combine three approaches. The study concludes with a discussion of methodological issues related to developing and testing models of program theory.