RecurS.O.S. para profes de inicial: Resources of early educators implementing remote learning in Peru

Last registered on September 28, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
RecurS.O.S. para profes de inicial: Resources of early educators implementing remote learning in Peru
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0008270
Initial registration date
September 23, 2021

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 28, 2021, 4:06 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Peru
Region
Arequipa, Junín, La Libertad, Loreto, Piura

Primary Investigator

Name
Emily Hanno
Affiliation
Harvard University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Armida Lizárraga
PI Affiliation
Luminario
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2021-09-27
End date
2021-12-24
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
early childhood education, behavioral economics, teacher quality
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This school-level clustered randomized control study tests the efficacy of WhatsApp-based supports for early childhood educators bringing about remote learning across five regions in Peru during the 2021 school year. Teachers in treatment schools across five regions will receive messages over the course of 8 weeks rooted in behavioral science principles to encourage (1) effective communication with the parents of students, and (2) giving feedback to students about their learning. The study will address the following research questions:
1. What is the impact of the intervention on early educators’ implementation of remote learning?
2. Does the intervention have downstream effects on children’s engagement in remote learning and their development?
3. Does the efficacy of the intervention vary across children, teachers, and schools?
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Hanno, Emily and Armida Lizárraga. 2021. "RecurS.O.S. para profes de inicial: Resources of early educators implementing remote learning in Peru." AEA RCT Registry. September 28. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.8270-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We evaluate the efficacy of sending early childhood educators informative messages through WhatsApp on two key pedagogical practices. Educators in the treatment group will receive three WhatsApp messages weekly over the course of eight weeks that contain actionable tips, infographics, and short video clips related to the targeted practices. Educators in the control group will not receive any additional supports.
Intervention Start Date
2021-10-11
Intervention End Date
2021-12-03

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. Teacher Outcomes
(1a) Teacher self-efficacy
(1b) Family engagement practices

2. Family and Child Outcomes
(2a) Home-school communication
(2b) Family engagement in children's learning
(2c) Children's development
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Teacher outcomes come from a web-mediated survey conducted with teachers. Teachers' self-efficacy (1a) is measured through a 14-item scale adapted from the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) Short Form (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001). It was adapted by making the items more applicable to the early education context and remote learning. Additionally, several items were added that are directly aligned to the targeted practices. Teachers' family engagement practices (1b) are captured using 9 items asking teachers to report on the frequency of specific types of interactions with families in the past week.

Family and child outcomes come from a web-mediated survey conducted with children's caregivers (primarily parents). Home-school communication (2a) is measured using 7 items reflecting the frequency (e.g., "In the last week, how many times has your child's teacher communicated with you?") and type (e.g., "In the last week, has your child's teacher communicated with you about the importance of reading with your child?") of home-school communication. Family engagement (2b) in children's learning is measured using 6 items capturing the frequency of certain engagement activities in the home (e.g., reading a book, playing with construction materials, singing or dancing with your child). Child development (2c) is captured using the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) 2030.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will conduct the study in early education centers across five regions in Peru. Random assignment to treatment will be stratified by region and done at the center-level. Center directors - blind to their treatment status - have the opportunity to opt-out of participating in the study. Teachers and parents in the early education centers that have not opted out will be asked to complete a baseline survey during a two-week period. At the end of the two-week period, all consented teachers in the treatment group will automatically begin receiving WhatsApp messages over the course of the next eight weeks. At the end of the eight weeks, all participants will be asked to complete a follow-up survey during a two-week administration period.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
The randomization is done by the research team on a computer.
Randomization Unit
The randomization is done at the early education center level.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1,215 early education centers.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 6,000 teachers and 60,000 parents will be invited to participate.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Half of the early education centers will be randomly assigned to the intervention (i.e., a treatment and control group of about 607 centers).
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Committee on the Use of Human Subjects - Harvard University Area Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2021-09-14
IRB Approval Number
IRB-0905
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials