Abstract:
Conceptualisations of evidence within the educational and community/social sector have been contentious over the past decade. The aim of this research was to examine the differences in understandings of evidence among individuals working within the New Zealand education and community/social sectors. By conducting an anonymous online survey, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered on the perceptions of evidence from 79 individuals working in different types of organisations within the chosen sectors. The results revealed that all of the participants considered all the items in the Quality Evidence survey to be included for determining programme effectiveness. However, participants endorsed qualitative style items more than the quantitative items from the survey, suggesting the endorsement of a broad approach to understanding quality evidence. The qualitative data indicate an emphasis on evidence that incorporates cultural diversity in determining quality evidence. Also, effect sizes should not be a sufficient metric in determining programme effectiveness. Implications, limitations and recommendations for future research are also discussed.