Environment and treatment: Methodological notes on program evaluation and institutional culture

Abstract

This paper discusses the evaluation of a small regional children's rehabilitation centre. Several data sets were obtained including patient records and physical examinationsof and interviews with Centre graduates. Originally, the project sought to describe the Centre's growth and determine successful programs. Design changes led to an examination of the relationship between institutional culture and the subsequent lifestyles of the graduates. The data strongly suggested that the institution's value orientation, which stressed successful accomplishment of daily living activities, life skills, had an impact upon an ‘isolate lifestyle’ apparent in the graduates. Standard statistical analysis are not able to support these conclusions. The methodological problems which lead to weaknesses in evaluation designs are discussed. It was concluded that researchers lack the methodological tools which would permit them to ‘go beyond’ simply reporting demographics, attitudes and opinions and making inferences into testing the relationships between institutional practices and subsequent behaviours.