ABSTRACT
Evaluation has become something of a hot topic in recent years, with numerous books and articles devoted to its different aspects. A quick survey of recent publications demonstrates the continuing topicality of evaluation in language education, in education and, more generally, in the social sciences. Accountability in one form or another has been a primary motivation for much evaluation practice although, as we demonstrate in this volume through a range of case studies, the purposes for evaluation extend well beyond the concerns of ‘value for money’ (VFM). These purposes affect the way the evaluation process is conceived and implemented in relation to innovation, the role of the ‘evaluator’, the participation of stakeholder groups, and how and what decisions are made on the basis of evaluation results, and with what effects.
