Summary
EdTech Hub, Busara Centre, and Ubongo partnered in Kenya to evaluate the impact of educational television on literacy, gender attitudes, and social-emotional learning (SEL). Through a randomised controlled trial, the intervention led to measurable gains in foundational literacy and SEL, reaching over 4.2 million underserved learners. Ubongo adapted its content based on real-time data, improving effectiveness. With a cost of just $0.10 per child annually, this scalable solution offers a powerful, inclusive approach to improving learning outcomes across Africa.
Key Highlight
Through a randomised controlled trial, educational television led to measurable gains in foundational literacy and social-emotional learning, reaching over 4.2 million underserved learners.
Why it Matters
In Kenya, achieving foundational literacy remains a challenge. Only 3 out of 10 children in Grade 3 can perform Grade 2-level literacy tasks. With limited access to formal learning environments, educational television presents a scalable, low-cost solution. EdTech Hub, Busara Centre a nonprofit organisation focused on applied behavioural science in pursuit of poverty alleviation, and Ubongo, a kids’ educational cartoon that follows the problem-solving adventures, partnered to explore how edutainment can improve literacy, gender attitudes, and social-emotional learning (SEL) among children aged 6–9. Past research has consistently highlighted the potential of educational television programs to engage learners across various age groups and enhance their comprehension of complex concepts. But what do decision-makers need to know to improve planning and outcomes?
The challenge
Despite increased access to primary education, many children in East Africa and most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not achieve minimum reading proficiency by age 10. Many schools, especially in rural areas, lack basic infrastructure such as classrooms, toilets, and electricity, and essential resources like textbooks and vital teaching materials. A significant shortage of qualified teachers hampers foundational learning. This is exacerbated by uneven distribution, leading to high student-teacher ratios in some areas, while others struggle with insufficient staff. In Kenya, where 45% of households own a TV, leveraging educational television becomes a strategic opportunity to reach underserved learners.
The Intervention
Busara and EdTech Hub have been studying a new television programme, ‘Nuzo and Namia,’ by Ubongo aimed at improving outcomes that affect children’s learning, such as literacy, SEL and gender attitudes, for children aged 6-9, while teaching them about different cultures in East Africa. Busara conducted a large-scale randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate its impact. The study included:
- A pilot phase where Busara recommended shifting focus from higher-order comprehension to foundational skills. Ubongo adapted its content accordingly.
- A baseline study revealed literacy strategies were too advanced. Busara advised curriculum simplification and introduced behavioural nudges.
- An endline study after 9 months of exposure. Busara shared findings in a workshop, guiding further improvements.
The Impact
By working with children, teachers and parents in 7 out of 8 provinces — Coast, North Eastern, Eastern, Central, Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza — Busara, and EdTech Hub developed a simple assessment instrument, based on Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) principles, tailored for children aged 6–9. This instrument tracks oral reading fluency (ability to read text aloud accurately), medium and comprehension to test whether children can summarise plots, identify characters, make inferences, or predict outcomes in a story. This intervention yielded statistically significant improvements in key areas, including:
- Literacy: Children exposed to the show demonstrated measurable gains in reading comprehension and engagement. Our study also shed light on the pedagogical effectiveness of the Nuzo and Namia show in introducing reading skills to young viewers. We found that the show effectively engaged children with skimming techniques.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Improvements in confidence and curiosity were observed among viewers.
- Gender Attitudes: The show helped shift perceptions around gender roles, promoting inclusivity.
- Reach: Ubongo’s content reaches 42.9 million families weekly across Africa, including 4.2 million underserved learners.
- Cost-Effectiveness: It costs just $0.10 per child per year to reach learners via TV and radio.
- Caregiver Engagement: Caregivers’ presence provides crucial support and reassurance, especially for neurodivergent children, with some expressing profound shifts in perspective after interactions with our research team. Remarkably, 98% of caregivers reported that Ubongo content improved their children’s quality of life.
Further Insights
Lessons Learnt
From this work, we learn that iterative design works where real-time data helps refine content for better outcomes. When it comes to foundational learning, it is critical to start with the basics to ensure broader accessibility. This work and lessons from it could not have been possible without partnerships that drive success; collaboration between researchers and implementers is key.
Looking Ahead
As a result of these interactions with children and learning from their responses, Ubongo has been continuously reviewing and updating its programme and offerings, thus improving the overall effectiveness of the intervention. Ubongo will work closely with Busara to continuously review the rigour of text used in their shows, based on the data collected by Busara on show engagement. Busara has also used its knowledge in developmentally appropriate pedagogy and behavioural nudges to advise Ubongo on useful adaptations.
Evidence and Insights
Impact Through Partnership
