Tools for Evaluating Tolerance Education

by Katrin Uhl

Evaluation in the field of democracy, human rights and tolerance education has become an important issue in the last few years. Many institutions, program developers and trainers working in the field are faced with the need to evaluate the programs they have designed or work with. The International Network Education for Democracy, Human Rights and Tolerance has formed a subgroup on evaluation to focus on issues related to the evaluation of training programs. In this commentary Katrin Uhl reflects on some of the questions the group has dealt with.Is it possible to measure the impact of training programs in the area of democracy, human rights and tolerance education? Are there tools ready for our use that help determine the strengths and weaknesses of programs, teaching materials and methods - and if so, which of these tools are the most useful? How do I go about identifying the adequate evaluation method for a particular program? What kind of information can I expect from an evaluation and how will it help me in my work?

Questions like or similar to these come to mind when the subject of evaluation is raised in the context of education for democracy, human rights, and tolerance. Evaluation in this field is a difficult issue, first and foremost, because the results of our work are hardly ever tangible goods. How do you measure if somebody has become more tolerant or is more likely to display peaceful conflict behavior? There are no simple answers to these questions.

Evaluation-survey

A survey on evaluation practices in the field carried out by the international network’s subgroup on evaluation has shown that the issue itself is of growing importance for those involved in educational work. The reasons for this are manifold: on the one hand program development as well quality assurance and improvement are often strong motivations. On the other hand, nowadays funding for programs is often tied to comprehensive evaluation. The methods of evaluation used in this context range from quantitative ones like questionnaires to qualitative measures such as interviews, focus group discussions or observations – just to name a few. However, there seems to be a diffuse uncertainty about each method’s strengths and weaknesses and its applicability for the field of democracy, human rights and tolerance education. Consequently the survey results revealed a wish and need for better information and training on what to expect from certain evaluation methods and how to chose an adequate one.

Making informed choices

Recognizing this niche the working group on evaluation has as a first step taken upon itself the task of helping practitioners to make informed choices on what evaluation methods suit their needs best. The group is currently designing a workshop that offers practitioners within the field a first hands-on overview over different methods for both, self- and external evaluation. With this initiative the working group not only wants to provide important information, but also hopes to contribute to the ongoing debate on evaluation in the field of democracy, human rights, and tolerance education.

Can change be measured?

Underlying the ongoing discussion, both inside and outside the network, is the fundamental question if changes in attitude and behavior can be measured. And if changes can be measured – how can we be sure that those identified are the result of a certain educational program and not caused by other, external factors?

Quantitative, statistical methods, while useful to report the amount of knowledge acquired within an educational program, will most likely fail at providing a comprehensive synopsis of a program’s impact on the participants’ attitudes and behavior. Qualitative evaluation methods, such as interviews or focus group discussions, address subjective outcomes – their results will allow conclusions on if and how the acquired knowledge is reflected in the attitudes and behavior of those who participated in a training. Most likely however, some uncertainties about cause – effect relationship and the role of external factors will always remain.

Specific needs of the field

Educators working in the field of democracy, human rights and tolerance have been calling for an evaluation tool that not only provides greater certainty on the issue of external factors, but which also and maybe more importantly is catered directly to the needs of the field. The process-character of such educational programs and the necessity to take cross-cultural issues into account are only some of those items that have to be taken into consideration when thinking about new or revised tools for the evaluation of democracy, human rights, and tolerance training programs. The network will continue the debate about this important issue in the years to come.

Index: Podium

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