The Role of Theory-Driven Evaluation in Analyzing Stakeholders' Perceptions of the 2021 Curriculum Reforms in Zanzibar
Keywords:
Stakeholders' perceptions, implications, curriculum reforms, educational outcomes, theory of change.Abstract
This study examines the implications of theory-driven evaluation for stakeholders' perceptions of the impacts of Zanzibar's 2021 curriculum reforms. The assessment uses an explicit theory of change as a guiding framework to study how educators, administrators, and other key stakeholders understand and experience reforms. This technique enables a thorough examination of the causal pathways linking curriculum inputs, activities, and outcomes, yielding insights into both intended and unintended consequences. The study seek to answer the following questions: How does theory-driven evaluation help in realizing the factors that shape stakeholders' perceptions? What gaps in awareness, training, and resources affecting curriculum enactment were revealed by theory-driven evaluation? How does theory-driven evaluation help analyze whether stakeholders' perceptions align or conflict with the intended theory of change behind the Zanzibar curriculum reforms? By incorporating qualitative data, the evaluation provides a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms by which reforms influence educational practices and their outcomes. The study found that TDE can help researchers unpack how factors shape stakeholders' perceptions, reveal gaps in awareness, training, and resources that affect curriculum enactment, and analyse how stakeholders' perceptions align with or conflict with the intended theory of change behind the Zanzibar curriculum reforms. The findings emphasises the importance of theory-driven evaluation in capturing complex program dynamics and informing policy decisions to improve curriculum implementation and educational quality in Zanzibar. This study adds to the expanding body of evidence that theory-driven techniques are valuable tools for assessing and continuously improving academic programs.
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