Reflecting on the Laws of Life: A Systems Evaluation Planning Project and Process Evaluation

Global Citizens in the Making (GCIM) is a promising large-scale character education program that is currently being implemented in hundreds of schools across the United Kingdom but has yet to be formally evaluated. In the proposed one-year planning project, our goals are twofold. We propose using a systems evaluation approach to conduct a thorough program review which will lead to the articulation of a detailed and testable theory of change for the next programmatic iteration of GCIM. In addition, we will conduct a process evaluation of GCIM which will include measures of implementation variability and pilot measures of key outcome variables such as future-mindedness and contribution. The primary Big Question this planning project and the subsequent outcome evaluation aim to address is: (1) Can reflecting on and writing about the virtues espoused in the Laws of Life improve adolescent character development? In order to begin to address the primary Big Question, the planning grant will specifically answer the following additional Big Questions: (2) What is the overarching theory of change for Global Citizens in the Making Values Poster program (GCIM)?, (3) How is the theory of change best assessed?, and (4) Does preliminary evidence support the theory of change? To address these questions, we propose a mixed-methods approach that includes interviews, surveys, and an analysis of posters students create when participating in the program. We will also employ systems evaluation which is a cutting-edge evaluation approach that considers the complex factors that are inherent in the larger systems within which a program is embedded.