The Politics of Curriculum Evaluation Research

It is widely acknowledged by those with a sense of history that the pursuit of knowledge has political consequences. That this historical truism has intruded into the world of the curriculum researcher may indicate a coming of age of a long-neglected and little-valued field of knowledge. Current indicators of the political consequences of the findings of the curriculum evaluator are clearly evident in both the demand for evaluation research and the attendant storm of controversy that frequently follows public disclosure of the findings. It is not uncommon that the evaluation researcher's findings are seized upon as the lever for forcing change in policy, program, and personnel, and thus are a source of discomfort as well as joy to a number of individuals with interests in dissimilar courses of action.