School of Languages and Linguistics - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 1 of 1
-
ItemApplying the context-adaptive model: evaluating a DEET funded English Language Program( 1995)Financially able governments around the world are embarking on major projects to retrain the growing numbers of unemployed. Education systems now dominated by 'market economy' -thinking government bodies holding the reigns on policy making and funding. It would appear from the writing of Bell and Goldstein (1995:21) that the situation in Australia is parallel to that of Canada. It is summarised in the words: "Many workers who have permanently lost their jobs in t:llls current economic recession have been advised to upgrade their educational credentials and obtain new work skills. In these changing economic times, upgrading, training and 'lifelong learning' are seen by many to be the key to finding and keeping a good job." This statement could easily be made about Australia, where the Federal Government is funding many types of training programs for the unemployed. The one being evaluated here is an English as Second Language (ESL) program funded by the Department of Employment Education and Training (DEET) for retrenched workers from the Textile Clothing and Footwear (TCF) industry. The program to be discussed is located at Victoria College, a registered private provider of education and training in Melbourne. Initially, the college offered English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) accredited by an industry body, the National ELICOS Accreditation Scheme (NEAS). It has now broadened its scope to offer business and DEET funded courses. The evaluator has been closely connected to the program in the capacity of teacher, coordinator and (DEET) liaison officer. The first chapter presents the historical background of language program evaluations. Reports on outcomes from closely related areas, are presented next, as relevant background literature. The model chosen for the framework of this evaluation is the Context-Adaptive Model (CAM) (Lynch 1990). The second chapter leads to an evaluation design by adapting steps of the model to the evaluation context. It takes into consideration "such issues as the social and political basis and motivation for the language learning and teaching" (Lynch In press 94 13) which are important background to the evaluation. The data collection design is presented in the third chapter with the thematic framework for the evaluation. The design has quantitative and qualitative data collected for separate audience goals. The fourth chapter shows how qualitative and quantitative data is collected from various sources. The qualitative data consists of post-course questionnaires; case studies and interviews. Quantitative data consists of Australian Second Language Proficiency Rating (ASLPR) results in the form of precourse and post-course proficiency ratings for all the students and as well as a two-year charting of the four macro-skills for the case studies. In the fifth chapter, the results are discussed and arguments for the validation of the data and methods are put forward in the sixth chapter. The evaluation conclusions can then be drawn from the different perspectives presented in the last chapter.