Title: Quality of impact measurement revised: a case of evaluating the impact of Lifelong Learning Programme in Slovenia

Authors: Klemen Širok; Gregor Petrič

Addresses: Faculty for Management Koper, University of Primorska, Cankarjeva 5, SI-6104 Koper, Slovenia. ' Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Kardeljeva ploščad 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract: European Union programmes in the field of education and training demand regular evaluation. However, due to several conceptual and measurement issues, the validity of evaluation results is put into question. The paper proposes to assess the programmes from a refined perspective of impact, calling for the clarification of some key methodological issues. Two groups of problems for the validity of evaluation research in the field of educational programmes are identified, one referring to causality and second to the absence of proper conceptualisation and operationalisation. The case of LLP impact evaluation in Slovenia is used to present the solutions to outlined problems.

Keywords: impact assessments; lifelong learning programmes; educational evaluation; Slovenia; European Union; EU; Europe; impact measurement; measurement quality; training; conceptual issues; measurement issues; evaluation validity; evaluation results; methodological issues; methodologies; causality; conceptualisation; operationalisation; impact evaluation; education management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2012.049344

International Journal of Management in Education, 2012 Vol.6 No.4, pp.308 - 329

Published online: 20 Dec 2014 *

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