theoriesofchange_working_paper_no_2015_02

Theoriesofchange_Working_Paper_No_2015_02

In 2009, a pair of meetings launched an ambitious initiative to link communities engaged in improving STEM education with those engaged in global sustainability. The organizers of the initiative, &#8220;Mobilizing STEM Education for a Sustainable Future&#8221; (details of which may be found at http://mobilizingstem.wceruw.org/), selected &#8220;critical advisors&#8221; to attend the meetings and guide discussion. These critical advisors, with expertise in relevant domains in higher education, such as professional development for faculty, curricula development, and policy and practice, were asked to propose new or adapted theories of change that can accomplish a vision for higher education. In this paper, therefore, we review theories of change already used in efforts to improve quality and access in STEM education. We consider why some STEM reform efforts based on particular theories of change (whether implicit or stated) may be more or less successful than others. To this end, this paper argues that theories of change are powerful yet often unacknowledged guides for human action for change. We first explain what a theory of change is. Then we present our findings from a preliminary study of theories of change inferred from a small sample of projects that the National Science Foundation solicited and subsequently funded to improve STEM education. We conclude by discussing the implications of unarticulated theories of change for the nation&#8217;s efforts to improve STEM education. (NOTE: this WCER working paper is a version of a 2009 paper resulting from the Mobilizing STEM Education for a Sustainable Future initiative.)

In this paper, the authors review Theories of Change used in efforts to improve quality and access in STEM education.

Why Theories of Change matter

rap_3_theory_of_change_review_narrative_and_diagram_third_draft_090816_0

This document brings together critical insights and thoughts from each of the core RAP-3 components and DFID to provide a revised Theory of Change (ToC). This new version has been considered to provide cohesiveness for the whole programme and one that better articulate linkages and the interconnected of relevant key issues.
The article also sheds light on assumptions underpinning the context and the theory of change adopted by the RAP-3 programme.

The purpose of the review of the Rural Access Programme 3 (RAP-3) Theory of Change was to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to reflect and critically review the programme from a holistic perspective.

Review of the Theory of Change of the Rural Access Programme

usingtocs_monitoring

Usingtocs_Monitoring

In this presentation, Andrew Koleros from GRM International shares some experiences on using Theories of Change as an analytic framework for a theory-based evaluation on the DFID funded Security Sector Accountability and Police Reform Programme (SSAPRP) in Congo.
It concludes that working with a Toc is a useful framework for organising both monitoring and learning activities as well as programme evaluation activities.

This presentation highlights GRM's experiences using Theories of Change in its analytic framework for evaluation.