Jocz-Tan, Jennifer Ann
(2024)
Connection and Reflection: Peer-led Conversations as an Evaluation Approach with Young People.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
From my personal point of view, the role of a program evaluator is to gather information about the thoughts and experiences of individuals impacted by the program and to use the findings to inform program improvement. However, participants in the evaluation may be reluctant to share their full thoughts due to factors such as power imbalances and a lack of relationship between the evaluator and evaluation participant or a general disbelief that the feedback provided will lead to change, barriers that are all the more prominent when evaluation participants are youth. This dissertation addresses the challenge of how to create evaluation activities that are more comfortable and beneficial for young people in the high school age range. Specifically, I worked with two groups of youth participating in an out-of-school time program at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI). Working with NYSCI staff and youth, we implemented peer-led conversations. Findings indicate that, in addition to providing a comfortable space to share, the conversations also offered youth the chance to connect with one another and reflect on their personal and shared experiences in the program. This provided benefit to the youth while also producing data that was of a higher quality than traditional methods and providing useful information that the NYSCI team utilized for program improvement.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
| Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Jocz-Tan, Jennifer Ann | jat232@pitt.edu | jat232 | |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
28 August 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
24 July 2024 |
| Approval Date: |
28 August 2024 |
| Submission Date: |
5 August 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
99 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Education > Learning Sciences and Policy |
| Degree: |
EdD - Doctor of Education |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
youth voice, evaluation, out-of-school learning, museums |
| Date Deposited: |
28 Aug 2024 15:38 |
| Last Modified: |
28 Aug 2024 15:38 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46841 |
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