A Model for Pre-Trial Formative Curriculum Evaluation: Its Development and Application.

A brief review of formative evaluation strategies highlights a number of problems. A model, incorporating an objective thematic and structural analysis technique, is proposed with the aim of removing some of the existing problems. The model is applied to an existing curriculum unit and produces a theoretically better unit. The original and revised units are then compared in a field-trial, and the theoretically better unit is shown to be also better in practice in terms of pupil achievement. Implications of the model and the thematic and structural analysis technique are then discussed.