Evaluation and Behavioral Objectives

Evaluation is an integral part of education. Since its overall aim is the improvement of instruction, it is important for all concerned-teachers, administrators, and students-that it be as accurate as possible. More specifically, the purposes of evaluation in education are: (1) To determine the degree of student growth; that is, the extent to which the student has achieved his instructional objectives. A major concern in this first purpose is the assignment of a terminal grade; (2) To provide continuous feedback data to the student, so that he can recognize his own level of achievement of the course objectives, and set his work pace accordingly; (3) To determine the effectiveness of the teaching in helping the pupils to achieve the objectives; (4) To determine the success of the educational program in achieving the desired objectives. It will be noticed that in all cases evaluation is in terms of the objectives. Statements of objectives are often so vague, however, that effective and accurate evaluation is nearly impossible. The purpose of this article is to illustrate that a statement of objectives in terms of specific observable behaviors is the fundamental prerequisite for valid evaluation. This disciussion is based upon the premise that education is a process which brings about a change in the learner. In other words, the pupil should be different after the educational process from what he was before it. If a change in the student is desired, then an instructional objective should be a statement of the desired change which will result from the learning situation. Mager (1962) more formally defines an instructional objective as ''an intent communicated by a statement describing a proposed change in a learner-a statement of what the learner is to be like when he has successfully completed a learning experience." As objectives are now stated, they generally fall into four categories, each of which reflects certain inadequacies. In the first category, objectives are stated in broad, long-range terms, such as those found in the philosophy of a school or department. Such a statement as "The student will develop an understanding and an appreciation of the biological laws which unify the apparent variety in the world" is fine to present to school boards, parents, and other lay people. It certainly presents a worthwhile expected change, but it is vague and too far reaching. It offers the teacher no direction for the changes to be effected on a short-term basis, no guide to the materials and methods needed to accomplish the changes, and no guide to the type of evidence from which he can infer that the desired changes have taken place. Such long-range goals will be better attained through the use of more effective-and precise-short-range goals. A second category contains objectives stated in terms of content. Topics like "Darwin's theory of evolution," and "Phylum Platyhelminthes" are often presented as objectives. But how is a pupil different after "Darwin's theory of evolution" from what he was before? What is the pupil supposed to do with "Phylum Plathyhelminthes?" Content alone is not an end. By itself, it does not indicate what the student will be like after instruction. Too often teachers become trapped into the presentation of content as an end rather than using it as the vehicle through which some change is brought about in the learner. In the third category, closely related to the