Impacts of an Audio-Video Program for Low-Literacy Families Targeting Socio Emotional Learning in India

• In Event: Child, school climate, and social emotional learning in LMICs

Proposal

Background Socioemotional learning (SEL) is increasingly recognized as foundational to young children’s well-being and lifelong learning, yet opportunities to support SEL at scale remain limited in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In the wake of COVID-19 and related school closures, remote delivery of parenting interventions through mobile devices has emerged as a promising strategy to strengthen children’s emotional and relational development in the home. India’s high rate of mobile phone usage. including among low-income households, making mobile-based early childhood programs a potentially scalable solution for advancing SEL in resource-constrained settings. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of brief, low-cost audio-visual parenting programs targeting low-literacy populations in urban informal settlements. This study examines the impact of a mobile-delivered parenting intervention on children’s socioemotional learning outcomes and parent–child engagement in the Malwani neighborhood of Mumbai, India.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 525 parents (Mage = 36.9 years) of children aged 3–7 years (48% girls). The intervention consisted of short (3–5 minute) audio and video messages sent via WhatsApp over 18 weeks, emphasizing actionable strategies to support children’s learning and socioemotional well-being during school closures. SEL components were integrated throughout the content, including routines that foster emotional regulation, expressions of empathy, and supportive parent–child communication. The primary outcome was increased parent–child engagement, with secondary outcomes including children’s socioemotional development, academic skills, engagement with educational materials, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. We estimated treatment effects using ordinary least squares regressions across three model specifications and adjusted for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. Exploratory moderation and within-treatment analyses examined heterogeneity and implementation-related factors.

Results: The intervention had no statistically significant effect on parental engagement (d = 0.10, n.s.), the primary proximal outcome. However, we observed a small to moderate positive impact on children’s socioemotional development (d = 0.28, p < 0.05), consistent across model specifications (see Tables 1 and 2). After adjusting for multiple comparisons, this effect remained marginally significant (q = 0.05–0.07). There were no significant effects on children’s academic skills, engagement with learning materials, or behavioral outcomes. Exploratory analyses indicated no moderation by maternal education, household food insecurity, or COVID-related economic hardship. Within the treatment group, self-reported satisfaction and comprehension of the program were not significantly associated with outcomes.

Discussion: Our findings suggest that brief, low-cost audio–video parenting interventions can support key domains of socioemotional development, even in highly constrained settings. These SEL improvements are particularly meaningful in contexts where formal schooling is disrupted and the home becomes a primary learning environment. Although school closures limited our ability to assess direct impacts on classroom environments, this study underscores the importance of viewing school climate holistically, recognizing the home as a key context for fostering SEL. Future interventions should aim to further align parent-facing SEL supports with school-based SEL curricula, promoting consistent and culturally grounded approaches to children’s socioemotional development across settings.

Authors

• Anahita Kumar, GSE, University of Pennsylvania

• Sharon Wolf