Analysis of the institutional evaluation approach applied to the educational management of Costa Rica Christian School

Abstract

The following article corresponds to the synthesis of a research work about the analysis of the Institutional Evaluation Approach applied to the educational management of a private school in the San José Norte Educational Region. The objectives of the analysis lied in identifying the
institutional evaluation approach from the characteristics of the three approaches proposed, as well as on determining the dimensions of the approach used, and a third objective was determining the staff perception of the institution in terms of the level of impact that the institutional evaluation approach has in regard to the organization.

The theoretical support for the study is based on three institutional evaluation approaches, that is, curriculum evaluation, from the qualitative paradigm, whose exponents are: Posner, Eisner and Stake, mentioned by Flórez (2003), Stufflebeam and Shinkifield’s CIPP (Context, Input, Processes and Products) evaluation, cited by Bausela (2003), and the self-evaluation approach, Antúnez (2009). The intervention proposal is based on this latter approach. The methodology used for the study is the quantitative-descriptive methodology, and a semistructured and self-applied questionnaire was applied to the organization’s population in the area: teaching, technical-administrative, teaching-administrative and administrative staff.
The results produced by the study clearly establish that while it is possible to identify several characteristics of the three approaches proposed, in respect to the determination of the dimensions, it does not establish a specific institutional evaluation approach to be applied by the school educational management. Due to the above, the perception of the participating staff concerning the impact that the evaluation approach applied has on the organization does not represent a significant impact on the organization. From the evaluative duty that educational administration has on each school, the management of an evaluation process will have the objective to determine the existing needs, regardless of the approach used, and also to produce the achievement of the goals proposed by the organization. The above involves an evaluative culture construction process, which currently does not exist either in the Latin American or national educational environment. When this construction is based on the self-evaluation approach, the process becomes participatory, as social actors interact in a direct and reflective manner, which brings about commitment towards the institutional improvement process. Finally includes a program to administrate from the evaluation area.