Empowerment Evaluation Practice in a Japanese Language Program

How to Support Difficult Japanese Programs

Abstract

Empowerment evaluation (EE) is an approach that regards evaluation itself as program empowerment and improvement process. In this paper we report the interim findings from the first stage of an EE of a Japanese as a second language (JSL) program in Japan, discussing how EE was implemented, and what changes were observed in the program members and the organization. EE was applied at a small JSL program at the natural science campus of a university in rural Japan, in order to improve the program through the empowerment of the program members. This paper describes EE steps and practices, its impact on an educational organization and program staff (instructors), and implications derived from the first cycle of EE implementation with the JSL program. By analyzing the JSL program context in depth, the paper discusses enabling empowerment context factors that led to successful initial implementation of EE, and EE's transformational potential for JSL programs in similar conditions. We feel that Japanese programs facing similar issues can benefit from EE practice, as the more difficult the situation is, the more suitable it is for EE.