부산대학교 도서관

Past research on the evaluation of widening participation programmes in English higher education has largely focused on critiquing choices of methodology and quality. Yet, over the last twenty-years evaluation of widening participation programmes has become a core feature of how English higher education providers are regulated by the Office for Students. This thesis moves beyond critiques of evaluation methodology and quality to explore how evaluation is practiced within English higher education providers and influencing widening participation practice and strategy decision-making. This thesis is informed by a theory of evaluation influence which has been contextualised based on widening participation evaluation practices. Informed by the theoretical framework, the study employed multiple methods including Q-methodology and interviews with participants that spanned the hierarchy of widening participation, student recruitment and admissions departments in up to 5 diverse English higher education providers. Findings from this study highlight how evaluation in widening participation has become institutionalised. Accordingly, evaluation practices have become embedded into the organisational structures of higher education providers, affecting how staff responsible for enacting widening participation policy evaluate their programmes. At an organisational level, evaluation is largely being used to legitimise the activities of widening participation departments. At an individual level evaluation is contributing to the increased evaluative thinking, and attitudinal and behavioural changes of staff. Of note, the findings emphasise the role of social, professional, and scientific values of widening participation staff members in informing how evaluation is practiced and how it influences practice and strategy decision-making. Consequently, this study calls for future research to continue to explore the way multiple and intersecting values affects how institutionalised evaluation practices either contribute to or hinder our ability to achieve social betterment.