The use of goal attainment scaling to evaluate a cancer research training program for high school and college students.

Goal attainment scaling has been used frequently in the evaluation of mental health services. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of the goal attainment scaling methodology in the evaluation of a cancer research training program. Subjects were 62 high school and college students participating in a summer research program. Prior to the program, all students were asked to predict the specific outcomes they expected to attain in relation to eight independent dimensions of the research training program. At the close of the program students were asked to indicate the outcome they attained for each dimension. Students also ranked the importance of each dimension. The analyses indicated that participants entered the program with accurate expectations of their ultimate achievement and satisfaction with the program. Significant differences were found for expected outcomes on a number of program dimensions for the high school and college students at the preprogram assessment. Significant differences were also found for the high school and college students' importance rankings at both the pre-program and post-program period. Goal attainment scaling proved to be a valuable and flexible technique for the evaluation of a cancer research training program.