How Objective Can a Self-Evaluation Be?
Objectivity is a relevant concern. We need not belabor the obvious point that science and specifically evaluation have never been neutral. Anyone who has had to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty in program evaluation or policy arenas is aware that evaluation, like any other dimension of life, is political, social, cultural, and economic. It rarely produces a single truth or conclusion. In the context of a discussion about self-referent evaluation, Stufflebeam (1994) states, As a practical example of this, in the coming years U.S. teachers will have the opportunity to have their competence and effectiveness examined against the standards of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and if they pass to become nationally certified. (p. 331) Regardless of one’s position on this issue, evaluation in this context is a political act. What Stufflebeam considers an opportunity, some teachers consider a threat to their livelihood, status, and role in the community. This ca
