Abstract
Deploying design-based, mixed-methods research, the study Raising Readers (Phase 1) explores how technology can be best used to strengthen parent and carer engagement with children’s reading in Kenya. In close collaboration with Worldreader, a digital reading organisation, five co-designed modalities (parental training, feedback loops, nudges/messaging, incentives, and reading celebrations) were tested in 14 schools across Nairobi and Kiambu counties over 12 weeks in 2022. The intervention helped to assess the potential of the different modalities in facilitating parental/carer engagement around children’s reading using the BookSmart app. As measured by average reading time, intervention groups showed higher engagement using BookSmart than the control group. ‘Incentives’ led with 39 hours 29 minutes average reading time per school over 12 weeks, followed by ‘reading celebrations’ with 24 hours 13 minutes. ‘Feedback loops’ and ‘training’ had comparable levels (10 hours, 28 minutes, and 9 hours, 27 minutes per school, respectively). ‘Messaging / nudges’ had the lowest engagement (5 hours 57 minutes versus 3 hours 2 minutes in the control group). Parental/carer knowledge, attitudes, and practices supporting their child’s reading improved with the interventions. Findings of Phase 1 were used to inform the design of Phase 2.
Authors and contributors
Nicolai, Susan (Author)
Khan, Amina (Author)
Kartha, Ashwati (Author)
Bapna, Akanksha (Author)
Kamninga, Tony (Author)
Citation
Nicolai, S., Khan, A., Kartha, A., Bapna, A., & Kamninga, T. (2023). Raising Readers: Can mobile technology enable Kenyan schools to improve parent and carer engagement in reading with their children? [Phase 1 Final Report]. EdTech Hub. https://doi.org/10.53832/edtechhub.0173
Link to this record
https://docs.edtechhub.org/lib/N2E79MUD
Key themes
- App
- Reading
- Girls and gender
- Fragile and conflict affected contexts
Type
- Report
