Evaluation is an essential and continuous process. Often it is thought to be the final stage of curriculum development; in reality however, it should be an integral part of the entire curriculum development process. Evaluation examines the ‘values’ of the curriculum being used, including the nature of the content of the learning (‘what knowledge is worthwhile?’) and of the aims themselves (‘what should this programme of education and training be achieving?’). It is more than assessment, which measures the performance of individual learners (especially the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired). Evaluation attempts to look at what the curriculum is worth to those who are involved in its development, how well the curriculum is working, and how it can be improved, for present learners and also for future ones.
As with other aspects of the curriculum development process, evaluation should be based on the principle of participation. All relevant stakeholders should be involved in the evaluation of the curriculum. The methods, criteria and indicators for evaluation need to be formulated very early in the process of curriculum development. Information must be collected and analysed, and conclusions drawn. All these activities should be carried out in a participatory way.