Utilization-focused evaluation for program development: The need for teaching experience in the bachelor of arts program in second language studies

Abstract

The purpose of this evaluation was to investigate (a) if there was a need for students in a new Bachelor of Arts (BA) program in Second Language Studies (SLS) to gain teaching experience and, if so, (b) how best to meet the need. The project followed a utilization-focused evaluation (UFE) design with the end goal of evaluation use for program development. Evaluation questions were addressed in two phases; the first aimed to determine if students needed to gain teaching experience as a component of the BA degree in SLS, while the second aimed to determine the degree and type of support needed for students to gain teaching experience should it be a need. Data was collected from SLS BA students (n= 35) and faculty (n = 13) in an iterative process using the following instruments: anonymous web-based surveys, focus groups, group interview, and a Delphi technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic coding. Findings indicated that the gaining of teaching experience was a perceived need for most students in the BA program, though not a universal need. Also, findings suggested that the SLS Department should provide support for students to gain teaching or related professional experience, and ideally this support would be a professional practicum or internship course open to both teaching and non-teaching students. An additional and unexpected finding revealed that stakeholders held different conceptions of students’ professional identity within the degree, perhaps related to changes occurring in the Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) field. Consequently, the present study explored the use of UFE as a means of program understanding and self-exploration at a time of transition within SLTE.