There are various aspects that should be considered when developing an evaluation approach. In the case of developing it for the improvement of education, training, and innovation, it is necessary to use basic rules of design while understanding the nuances of the specific area that is going to be evaluated (National Planning Commission, n.d.). These are related to early childhood development, basic and post-school education, and the national research and innovation system. Based on this information, the evaluation approach must fit both its design requirements and the area that it is dedicated to.
Development in children’s learning is a priority not only for the past and present but also for the future. This paper will push back against the last point, as we need to understand and take into account the peculiarities of the development of the field of education for many years to come. It will line up and analyze the different approaches to teaching methods, the key features of each, and the innovations they will potentially bring in the future. It is worth noting that despite the nature of the narrative, this work will also consider the peculiarities of this sphere’s development in the present time. This is done in order to demonstrate the already existing material and illustrative development of this sphere for future generations.
The topic’s relevance can also be mentioned that learning is never at a standstill and must evolve. The most crucial aspect in developing such teaching methods is adapting to modern realities and, as a consequence, to students’ characteristics (National Planning Commission, n.d.). Since these concepts are interrelated and depend on each other, finding a suitable teaching method is also one of the necessary aspects for successful learning in the future.
An equally important feature of this paper is to consider not only the education process among children but also the algorithm for finding a suitable training program for older generations, namely the development of proper training. It is no secret that adults differ significantly from children in the way they perceive and interpret information. Despite the similarity of learning goals, methods can be highly different. Therefore, this paper aims not only to establish new possible teaching methods for representatives of the school years but also to develop concepts and consider teaching methods for an older category of students.
It is also worth noting that in addition to the research conducted in this work, the main stages of maturation will also be indicated here. This is done in order to fully consider the need for instruction in the various stages of human development and to compare the ability to use multiple pedagogical techniques. It is essential to consider each ability of the individual and to draw some conclusions for standardizing learning during each period. It is also important to remember that this kind of work is not intended to be merely a theoretical examination of such methods but rather to provide examples of the practical application of the learning process. Thus it can be said that despite the careful selection and analysis of the literature indicated in the sources, it is crucial to consider each student’s specific developmental characteristics. This paper demonstrates the need to make the right decisions from a rational point of view in the selection of training programs and their proper implementation in the overall learning process of each student. Avoiding disruptive curriculum changes is crucial for improved curriculum and associated elements, as this will allow instructors to acquire the basic skills and competency required to fulfill the curriculum. Incorporating incentive programs tied to yearly national evaluations will allow schools to be rewarded for making continuous progress. It’s worth noting that avoiding entrenching historical imbalances by ensuring that rewards are based on the rate at which schools improve their performance is important (Pather, 2019). Delivering inclusive education that helps everyone to successfully engage in a free society is critical for better development as well.
The attention toward post-school education is significant due to several reasons. These are related to its influence on the quality of education, development of industries, and learning opportunities. It helps to provide high-quality learning and instruction across the educational system, from preschool to higher education. Post-secondary education is critical for meeting the skills demands of all sectors of society, including business, industry, and government, as well as providing possibilities for lifelong learning for a diverse group of people. It forges alliances to play a key role in national and regional projects, as well as in conducting and disseminating research. Through research projects conducted in conjunction with local and international enterprises, post-secondary education can help to encourage technology transfer if it is correctly planned. It improves the infrastructure for research, development, and technology. It has an impact on strengthening the basis for effective governance by allowing citizens to engage actively in the country’s social, economic, and political life as well. Therefore, to improve post-school education, it is necessary to strive toward the listed goals.
The development of research and innovation is another key aspect that consists of various scientific institutes and programs that should be considered. These are space technology and science, biotechnology and healthcare innovation, hydrogen and energy, innovation planning and instrumentation, and radio astronomy. To enhance this area, it is necessary to create a shared overall structure encompassing higher and further education, state-owned firms, and private industries to solve major concerns in the national innovation system (Farquhar et al., 2011). The system must work in a unified and coordinated way, with broadly shared goals that are linked with national interests. Dedicated programs in water, electricity, marine, space, and software development, in which South Africa possesses both competitive and comparative advantages, should be given special consideration. Internship programs for experiential learning should be offered by companies that specialize in such programs, particularly in manufacturing and services. In higher education, nurture and organize research capacity, and relate it to postgraduate study. Enhancing collaboration between institutions and other technology and development centers by improving coordination and assistance is crucial as well.
The demographics of higher education academics, research councils, and private research institutions should be changed. Funding and study capacity-building programs for young, female, and black researchers have to be established as well (Alemu, 2018). It is necessary to increase funding for postgraduate education at universities, senior researchers, and university-industry collaborations. All educational institutions that perform research require a more solid funding approach. Improve research output and expand research capabilities. Developing a consistent policy framework for the country’s future and growth route, including the important role of technology and science, and higher education, is crucial.
To address this, the standards for highly qualified scientific and mathematics instructors, technicians, and researchers seeking to immigrate should be relaxed. All foreign grads should be awarded a seven-year work visa. The movement of people, ideas, and things throughout the East and Southern African area should be promoted. Increasing the number of new graduates eligible to study scientific and mathematics-based disciplines at university to revitalize science and mathematics is one of the priorities. It is crucial to create a few world-class centers and programs in both the national innovation system and the university education sector. These should be in areas of competitive and comparative advantage for South Africa, such as indigenous knowledge systems.
Thus, it can be concluded that all of the problems described affecting the learning process in one way or another. These difficulties are natural in our day and need to be built upon when formulating a curriculum and integrating it into the general education system. It is difficult to say which of these problems is the most important because all of them in combination does not allow the teaching process to work to its full potential. In my opinion, all of these difficulties need to be addressed comprehensively, as each of them is a severe regressive mechanism that does not allow for improvement in the conditions of education at the present time (Evaluation for Equitable Development Results, 2012). It is also essential to remember that while there are methods for dealing with such complexities, not all of them have been implemented and exist only at the theoretical planning stage. More research is needed to prove the effectiveness of these methods experimentally.
Monitoring entails keeping track of progress versus goals and taking remedial action as needed. Its goals include holding the intervention accountable, as well as correcting and managing it (Mapitsa & Ngwato, 2020). Evaluation is the systematic gathering and objective examination of evidence in order to assess problems such as relevance, consistency, performance, value for money, effect, and sustainability, as well as to provide recommendations about how to proceed (Kalyal, 2019). Learning, accountability, increasing performance, informing policy, planning, and budgeting are all goals of the evaluation. These are important for the selected area as monitoring fits the long-term work on the development and allows to constantly track the performance of interventions. Evaluation is crucial to periodically gain information regarding the current results of the intervention, which will allow assessing the changes applied and modifying them in the future.
The most appropriate type of evaluation for the purposes set by NDP is the implementation evaluation. Its goal is to determine if the operational processes of an intervention assist the attainment of the intervention’s objectives and, if not, why (DPME, 2019). Implementation evaluation examines actions, outputs, and results, as well as resource utilization and causal relationships. It improves on current monitoring tools and is used to increase the efficiency of operational processes during program execution. Such an approach allows evaluating the criteria and assumptions for quality as well (Scwandt, 2003). The evaluation can be quick, relying solely on secondary data, or thorough, requiring substantial field effort.
The primary purposes of this evaluation approach are the improvement of projects and programs designed to enhance the development and creation of evidence bases. These purposes fit the approach as it is necessary to align projects and programs to the plan, as well as generate a basis of knowledge regarding what are the most efficient ways of achieving the goals set (Rogers, 2008). In general, the approach is dedicated to the constant analysis of the performance of different actions and the use of such evaluation to improve decision-making processes in terms of their efficiency (Stewart et al., 2019). As there are multiple areas related to education and science that have to be developed, the efficiency of all the interventions should be assessed. The approach suggested considers it, as frequent evaluation will allow understanding which intervention has improved or impaired the efficiency.
The approach, due to its design, allows using the evaluations in every aspect necessary to achieve the highest performance possible in achieving goals set by National Development. Planning will be considered as a regular analysis of the results of interventions that will allow modifying the future interventions to better fit the objectives. The efficiency of budgeting is considered as well, as the regular analysis of the implementation will help to reduce costs and find the most appropriate ways to reach the desired outcomes (Schwandt, 2003). Organizational improvement is taken into account by periodically assessing the changes in different institutions and aspects of education. Whereas reviewing policies must be based on evidence, it is necessary to analyze the relevant issues and address them, which is possible due to the design of the approach as well. This is applicable to program and project management, too, as these require evidence-based interventions.
In conclusion, the intervention related to improving education and innovation encompasses various areas, including basic and post-school education, as well as research institutes. Improving them is crucial for the further development of society, and it can be done by creating specific conditions and policies related to improving the quality of these areas. The evaluation approach chosen fits the purpose because it will allow frequent assessment of the efficiency of interventions, which will allow tailoring of further actions and policies. It would achieve the stated purposes in terms of budgeting and social improvement efficiency, as well as planning, reviewing policies, project management, and programme related aspects. It is defined by the possibility of using the evaluation for regular data collection and analysis, which will allow organizing budgeting and planning efficiently. Policy reviews and project management require to be based on evidence, which will be sufficient due to the data provided by the evaluation.
References
Alemu, S. K. (2018). The meaning, idea and history of university/higher education in Africa: A brief literature review. Forum for International Research in Education, 4(3), 210-227.
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Farquhar, M. C., Ewing, G., & Booth, S. (2011). Using mixed methods to develop and evaluate complex interventions in palliative care research. Palliative Medicine, 25(8), 748–757.
Kalyal, H. (2019). “Well, there’s a more scientific way to do it!”: Factors influencing receptivity to evidence-based practices in police organizations. Police Practice and Research, 21, 609-623.
Mapitsa, C. B., & Ngwato, T. P. (2020). Rooting evaluation guidelines in relational ethics: Lessons from Africa. American Journal of Evaluation, 41(3), 404–419.
National Planning Commission (n.d.). National development plan 2030: Our future – Make it work.
Pather, S. (2019). Confronting inclusive education in Africa since Salamanca. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(7-8), 782-795.
Rogers, P.J. (2008) Using programme theory to evaluate complicated and complex aspects of interventions. Evaluation, 14(1), 29-48.
Schwandt, T.A. (2003). In search of the political morality of evaluation practice. Studies in Educational Policy and Educational Philosophy, 2003(2).
Stewart, R., Dayal, H., Langer, L. et al. (2019). The evidence ecosystem in South Africa: Growing resilience and institutionalisation of evidence use. Palgrave Commun 5, 90.