ATTACHMENT_J.6_Malawi_SBCC_Baseline_report.pdf

EdData II

Measurement and Research Support to Education Strategy Goal 1 Malawi Social and Behavior Change Communications Pilot Baseline Report

Education Data for Decision Making (EdData II) Technical and Managerial Assistance, RTI Task Order 20, Activity 4 Period of Performance: 10/1/2012 – 9/30/2014 Contract Number AID-OAA-BC-12-00003 RTI Project No. 0209354.020

July 2015

This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by RTI International.

Measurement and Research Support to Education Strategy Goal 1 Malawi Social and Behavior Change Communications Pilot Baseline Report

Prepared for:

Office of Education Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kevin Sampson, Contracting Officer Penelope Bender, Contracting Officer’s Representative

Prepared by:

Joseph DeStefano and Stirling Cummings RTI International 3040 East Cornwallis Road Post Office Box 12194 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194

The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

RTI International is a registered trademark and a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.

Malawi Baseline Report iii

Table of Contents Page

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iv

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iv

Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. vi

Executive Summary

1 Introduction

2 Methods

3 Household Survey Results

3.1 Characteristics of Households

3.2 Characteristics of Respondents

3.3 Attitudes and Beliefs

3.4 Behaviors

3.5 Household Environmental Factors that Affect Learning

3.6 Respondents’ Exposure to Messages about Children Learning to Read

3.7 Discussion of Household Survey Results

4 Results of Teacher Survey

4.1 Teacher Background Information

4.2 Teachers’ Perceptions of Parent Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors that Promote Learning to Read

4.3 Classroom activities promoting reading and availability of reading materials

4.4 Discussion of Teacher Survey Results

Annex A. Malawi Teacher Questionnaire

Annex B. Malawi Parent Questionnaire

Malawi Baseline Report iv

List of Figures Figure 1. Ntcheu District, Malawi

Figure 2. Percentages of Households with Factors Used to Calculate Wealth

Quintiles

Figure 3. Integrative Model of Behavior Change

Figure 4. Activities Child Performs before School

Figure 5. Activities Child Performs after School

Figure 6. Printed Materials Reported to Be in the Home

Figure 7. Distributions of Class Sizes in the Two Zones

Figure 8. Kasinje Teachers’ Expectations for Children Learning to Read

List of Tables Table 1. Household Wealth

Table 2. Access to Radio and Television

Table 3. Education of Respondents

Table 4. Role Parents Can Play to Help their Child with School

Table 5. Activities to Help a Child Learn to Read

Table 6. Obstacles to Helping a Child

Table 7. Behaviors that Help the Child with School

Table 8. Household Member Providing Help with Schoolwork

Table 9. How Household Member Provides Help

Table 10. Frequency of Help with School Work (All Household Members)

Table 11. Advertisements or Messages about Children Learning to Read

Table 12. Teacher Background Information

Table 13. Most Important Subject to Learn in School

Table 14. Grade Level at Which a Child Should Be Able to Read Well

Table 15. Teachers’ Perception of Roles Parents Can Play to Help their Child with

School

Table 16. Teachers’ Perception of Behaviors that Help the Child with School

Table 17. Teachers’ Perception of Frequency of Help with School Work

Table 18. Why Parents Visit the School

Table 19. Teacher Assignment of Homework

Table 20. Children Taking Schoolbooks Home

Malawi Baseline Report v

Table 21. Children Taking Story Cards Home

Malawi Baseline Report vi

Abbreviations

EdData II Education Data for Decision Making II

E3 Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment [USAID]

IKI Invest in Knowledge Initiative

RTI RTI International (a registered trademark and trade name of Research Triangle

Institute)

SBCC Social and Behavior Change Communication

SES socioeconomic status

US United States

USAID United States Agency for International Development

Malawi Baseline Report 1

Executive Summary To reinforce school-based efforts to improve early grade reading, ministries of education and their technical and financial partners are paying increased attention to how families can help children build literacy skills at home. As a precursor to an activity designed to use Social and

Behavior Change Communications (SBCC) techniques to mobilize parents to help their children learn to read, a survey was conducted of households in two zones in Ntcheu District in Malawi in

March 2016. The survey explored the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of family members of students enrolled in Standards 1–3. In addition, the teachers at the schools from which students were sampled were also interviewed.

Invest in Knowledge Initiative (IKI), a Malawian contract research organization, collaborated with the USAID-funded Early Grade Reading Activity to select a sample of households of students enrolled in two zones: Kasinje, which serves as the intervention area; and Senzani, which serves as the comparison area. In addition, a separate survey queried the teachers of the classrooms from which students/households were sampled.

Households: A member of each sampled learner’s household was interviewed at their residences. In some cases the child’s parent responded; in others, another adult did when a parent of the learner was not available.

Of the respondents in both zones, 63% were the child’s mother, 20% were the child’s father.

The majority of the respondents, 84%, ranged from 20 to 49 years of age.

Education attainment levels among the parent respondents was generally low and appeared to differ somewhat between the two zones: In Kasinje, 82% said they had no formal education or only some primary school (but not completed), compared to 71% in

Senzani.

The responding adult also provided information about the household. The baseline data indicated similarities between surveyed households in Kasinje and Senzani.

96% of the households in Kasinje and 95% in Senzani had nine or fewer members.

Wealth distribution did not differ dramatically between the two sites.

Attitudes and Beliefs: Baseline information on the respondents’ attitudes and beliefs about early grade reading was collected to measure changes from baseline to post-intervention.

Among the respondents, “English” for both Kasinje (57%) and Senzani (65%) was chosen as the most important subject to learn in school.

When asked at what grade level a child should be able to read well, the largest number of respondents (47% in Kasinje and 48% in Senzani) said Standard 3.

Attitudes about the role parents could play to help their child did not differ greatly between the two zones. When the respondents were asked about parents’ roles, these

Malawi Baseline Report 2 included making sure the child attends school on time (52%) and checking the child’s notebook (40%).

When asked whether their neighbors and friends read to their children, 48% of the respondents in Kasinje and 44% in Senzani said “yes.”

Other questions attempted to determine the respondent’s perceptions of self-efficacy in helping their child learn to read. In Kasinje and Senzani, 70% said they believed they could help their child learn to read, primarily by reading with the child and having the child read aloud.

A significant perceived barrier to helping the child learn to read, however, was the respondents themselves being unable to read. Among the parents, 30% in Kasinje and in

Senzani said that they could not help their child learn to read because they themselves could not read.

Parental Behaviors that Promote Learning: Data were collected on behaviors that promote learning, specifically how the parent/respondent or other household members help the child with school.

When asked how the child was helped with school, the most popular parent responses were to check the child’s homework (45% in Kasinje vs. 46% in Senzani), ask the child to show his/her work (37% in Kasinje vs. 45% in Senzani) and tell the child to do his/her work (31% in Kasinje vs. 22% in Senzani).

When asked which household member provided the most help to the child, the father of the learner was the most frequently mentioned (29% in Kasinje and 21% in Senzani).

This was followed by the sister (18% in Kasinje and 22% in Senzani).

Parental Exposure to Media Messages about Learning to Read: When parents were asked if they had come across any messages in mass media about children learning to read, 59% of the households in Kasinje and 62% in Senzani said they had not seen or heard any messages on this subject. Of those that had heard child literacy messages, radio was the leading broadcast medium through which that message was communicated.

Teacher Respondents: The survey queried teachers about their classrooms, their practices, and their perceptions of their students’ parents.

Of the teacher respondents, 95% ranged between 20 to 49 years of age, with an average age of 35 years.

Slightly more teachers in Kasinje than in Senzani were male.

The majority of teachers interviewed had been teaching from 2 to 5 years (51%).

Of the teacher respondents, 71% in Kasinje reported class sizes larger than 100 students, while only 28% in Senzani reported classrooms of that size.

Teachers’ Attitudes and Beliefs: Teachers were asked what they believed about children learning to read and what they thought the parents of their students believed.

Malawi Baseline Report 3

In Kasinje 69% and in Senzani 60% of teachers believe Chichewa to be the most important subject to learn in school, while 76% and 70% of teachers in Kasinje and

Senzani, respectively, think parents of their students believe Chichewa to be the most important subject to learn in school.

A plurality of teachers (39% in Kasinje and Senzani combined) believe a child should be reading fluently by Standard 2, yet the largest group of teachers thinks most parents believe a child should be reading fluently by Standard 3 (42% in both sites combined).

When asked what role they thought learners’ parents could play to help their children, checking the child's notebook (50%), buying school supplies (39%), making sure the child attends school on time (38%), reading with the child (34%), and checking the child's homework (32%) were the most frequently mentioned.

When asked what they thought parents actually did with their children to help with their schoolwork, checking homework (51%), asking to show their work (37%), asking to read aloud (28%), and reading to the child (18%) were the most frequently mentioned by the teachers.

Classroom activities promoting reading and availability of reading materials: Teachers were asked questions about the frequency of homework assignments and whether children take school books and reading materials home with them, and if not, why.

Overall 36% of the teachers said they assigned homework every day.

In Kasinje, 98% of the teachers and 87% in Senzani said their students take books home with them. Of those that said their students take materials home, 23% in Kasinje and 24% in Senzani said their students do so every day.

When asked about story cards, 87% of the teachers in Kasinje and 89% in Senzani said their students take them home. Of those that claimed this, the largest group of teachers said they only do so once a week (62% in Kasinje and 45% in Senzani).

Malawi Baseline Report 4

1 Introduction With funding from USAID’s Office for Economic Growth, Education, and the Environment, the

Education Data for Decision Making II (EdData II) project is investigating how to employ Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategies to promote and stimulate home-based support for children learning to read. Recognizing that the dramatic improvements needed in reading outcomes in most developing countries will likely only be achieved through a combination of in-school and at-home efforts in support of early literacy, USAID is testing how the lessons from successful SBCC campaigns in the health sector can be applied in education.

Following an initial pilot SBCC campaign in one district in Senegal, EdData II initiated a second round of research—in another district in Senegal and in one district in Malawi.

The SBCC activity in Malawi is designed in a similar fashion to the one implemented in

Kaolack, Senegal,1 making use of a multichannel approach to reach families in an area where an early grade literacy program is already being implemented. The multichannel involves delivering messages to parents through radio announcements, advertisements, and posters hung in prominent locations within each community. The campaign also includes reinforcement of those messages through community meetings and through community theater performances that reiterate the importance of reading and demonstrate to parents specific activities they can do at home to support their children learning to read.

The USAID-funded Early Grade Reading Activity has been active in 11 districts in Malawi, one of which, Ntcheu, has been selected for implementation of this pilot SBCC campaign. Having seen that the multichannel approach was successful in Senegal at promoting positive changes in households’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, the pilot in Malawi is set up to validate/replicate those findings in a different context. Furthermore, the Malawi pilot will test two variations on the multichannel approach in an attempt to isolate the value added of community theatre as a communication and message reinforcement channel. In collaboration with the Malawi Early

Grade Reading Activity, EdData II will implement two versions of the SBCC campaign in the communities associated with 16 schools in the zone of Kasinje (half will include community theater, half will not). Another group of communities in a different zone (Senzani) in Ntcheu

District will serve as a comparison (no SBCC activities will take place there).

In conjunction with the Malawi Early Grade Reading Activity Staff and a local partner organization, Invest in Knowledge Initiative (IKI), a baseline survey was completed in March

2016. The results of that survey are the subject of this report.

1 For more information about the Senegal SBCC campaign, see

RTI. (July 2015). Measurement and Research Support to Education Strategy Goal 1: Senegal Behavior Change

Communication Research Baseline Report. Prepared by RTI International for USAID, Office of Communication:

Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3). Available at:

http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00M27G.pdf

RTI. (May 2016). Measurement and Research Support to Education Strategy Goal 1: Senegal Behavior Change

Communication Research: Kaolack Baseline Report. Prepared by RTI International for USAID, Office of

Communication: Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3).

http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00M27G.pdf

Malawi Baseline Report 5

2 Methods

An evaluation of the Malawi behavior change communications pilot intervention will be conducted by comparing the intervention study area, Kasinje, and the comparison area, Senzani—two zones in the Ntcheu

District (Figure 1). Pre-intervention and post-intervention data have been and will be collected from both areas through a structured questionnaire.

The two areas are separated by a distance of approximately 70 km, which is judged to be a sufficient distance to avoid communication spillover. Baseline data have been collected from parents or other household members of students as well as from the students’ teachers.

All 16 schools from the intervention zone and all 15 from the comparison zone were included in the research study. From each school, 30 learners were randomly selected from standards 1, 2, and 3. Each class contributed 10 learners: half of which were boys and half girls. Once selected, a learner’s household was identified and the parent/guardian then interviewed.

The instruments used for the parent and teacher interviews were developed by RTI and further adapted to fit the local context by our partner on this research, Invest in Knowledge Initiative (IKI). IKI translated the questionnaire into Chichewa, trained the interviewers, and carried out the fieldwork. Data capture in the field was carried out using tablets with CSPro2 software.

2 Developed by U.S. Census Bureau and ICF International. For more information see:

http://www.census.gov/population/international/software/cspro

Figure 1. Ntcheu District, Malawi http://www.census.gov/population/international/software/cspro

Malawi Baseline Report 6

3 Household Survey Results Data are presented by area and as totals. This baseline report summarizes information gathered through the household and teacher surveys and includes information related to the following:

Household responses:

Household characteristics

Characteristics of the respondents

Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that promote learning to read

Characteristics of the children

Environmental factors affecting how children learn to read

The respondents’/households’ exposure to mass media.

Teacher responses:

Characteristics of the respondents

Teachers’ perspective of parent knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that promote learning to read

Availability of reading materials in the classroom

Assignment of homework and student access to materials outside of school.

The baseline parent sample comprises 452 interviews from the intervention area (Kasinje) and

485 from the comparison area (Senzani). For teachers, 45 interviews were conducted in the intervention area and 47 interviews were conducted in the comparison area. The baseline data for the two study sites are described below.

3.1 Characteristics of Households

Most households surveyed in the two areas had between five and nine people living in them:

83% in Kasinje (intervention zone) and 74% in Senzani (comparison zone). Only 4% of households in either zone had from 10 to 14 people. The remainder had fewer than four. In addition to household size, data on the socioeconomic status (SES) of families were also collected. Seventeen household attributes were used to construct the household wealth index

(Table 1) as a measure of relative SES. The percentages of households with these different attributes in the two zones are shown in Figure 2.

Malawi Baseline Report 7

Table 1. Household Wealth

Household Wealth Quintiles

Kasinje (Intervention) †

Senzani (Comparison)

†† Total †††

Lowest 22 19 20

Second 23 17 20

Middle 17 22 20

Fourth 18 22 20

Highest 20 20 20

†: n=453; ††: n=485; †††: n=938.

Figure 2. Percentages of Households with Factors Used to Calculate Wealth Quintiles

Respondents were also asked about the language most regularly used in their household.

Essentially all households—99% in Kasinje and 97% in Senzani use Chichewa. Overall, 4% also said they use Ngoni.

To assess how families get information, respondents were also asked about their radio listening and television viewing habits. Table 2 summarizes family access to radio and television.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Kasinje… Senzani…

Malawi Baseline Report 8

Table 2. Access to Radio and Television

Kasinje (Intervention)†

Senzani (Comparison) †† Total†††

How often do you watch television?

Every day 3 2 2

3-4 times a week 3 2 3

Once every 2 weeks 2 2 2

Once a month 5 9 7

Never 86 85 85

How often do you listen to the radio?

Every day 32 31 32

3-4 times a week 13 12 12

Once every 2 weeks 7 5 6

Once a month 7 9 8

Never 39 43 41

†: n=452; ††: n=485; †††: n=937.

3.2 Characteristics of Respondents

The mother of the learner was the most likely to respond in Kasinje (65%) and Senzani (60%).

The father responded in 23% of the interviews in the intervention site and 18% in the comparison site. Approximately three-quarters of the respondents were female. The mean age of the respondents was 37 years of age in both study areas.

Table 3 shows the level of schooling completed by the respondents in each household. A slightly greater percentage of respondents in Kasinje (15%) had no formal education compared to the respondents in Senzani (12%). The majority of respondents have had at least some primary school education.

Table 3. Education of Respondents

Level of school completed by respondent

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Only some primary education 67 59 63

Completed primary education 9 12 10

Some secondary education or more (excluding vocational) 10 17 14

Vocational or other 0 0 0

No formal education 15 12 13

†: n=452; ††: n=483; †††: n=935.

Malawi Baseline Report 9

3.3 Attitudes and Beliefs

This study is designed to measure not only changes in behavior as a result of the SBCC campaign but also changes in attitudes, norms, and perceptions of self-efficacy—all of which are known to strongly influence behavior, as illustrated by the Integrative Model proposed by

Fishbein in 20003 and refined in 2006.4 This model brings together several commonly cited behavioral theories and serves to predict and explain behavior by illustrating relationships among the factors that influence whether or not a person performs a desirable behavior, such as hand washing, or stops an undesirable behavior, such as smoking (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Integrative Model of Behavior Change5

The goal of an SBCC campaign is to alter behavior, which is influenced by environmental factors, skills and abilities, and intention. However, communication alone primarily acts on the three factors that influence intention in the Integrative Model:

Attitudes (a person’s overall favorable or unfavorable feelings toward the behavior);

Norms (perceptions of what others think and perceptions of what others are doing); and

3 Fishbein, M. (2000). The role of theory in HIV prevention. AIDS Care, 12, 273–278.

4 Fishbein, M., & Cappella, J. N. (2006). The role of theory in developing effective health communications. Journal of Communication, 56, S1-S17. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00280.x 5 ibid

Malawi Baseline Report 10

Self-efficacy (confidence in one’s ability to perform the behavior, even under difficult circumstances).

Each of these three factors is influenced by the person’s beliefs, and beliefs are the most effective target for persuasive communication.6 For example, a belief that influences attitudes might be, “my child will do better in school if she learns to read well by second grade,” or “my child should not spend time reading for pleasure when there are chores to be done.”

Alternatively, a normative belief would be, “my neighbors will think I am a bad mother if I don’t read with my child,” while a control belief would claim, “I don’t know how to read so there is nothing I can do to help my child learn to read.” The results for the relevant survey questions are, therefore, presented in three sections: attitudes, norms, and perceptions of self-efficacy.

One belief relevant to parental involvement in supporting literacy is what respondents say is the most important subject for children to learn in school. The survey asked family members, without prompting, to name a single subject. The most common response was “English,” both for Kasinje (57%) and for Senzani (65%). This was followed by “Chichewa” (22% and 15% for

Kasinje and Senzani, respectively), which is recognized as the national language of Malawi. A total of 11% of respondents thought math was the most important subject to learn in school.

Household members were also asked when a child should learn to read well. Very few in either zone said a child should learn to read well in Standard 1, a third in both Kasinje and Senzani said in Standard 2, and 47% said in Standard 3.

Respondents, without being given a list of possible answers, were asked what role parents could play to help their children with school (Table 4). They could give multiple responses. The most common response was to make sure the child attends school on time (56% in Kasinje and 49% in

Senzani). The second most common response was for parents to check the child’s school notebook. Of the respondents, 22% in Kasinje and 18% in Senzani think reading with the child is a role parents can play, while having the child read aloud was not frequently mentioned (9% in both study areas).

6 ibid

Malawi Baseline Report 11

Table 4. Role Parents Can Play to Help their Child with School

Question (unprompted):”'What role can parents play to help their child with school?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Make sure the child attends school on time 56 49 52

Check child’s notebook 36 43 40

Other (specify) 24 36 30

Make sure the child has a good breakfast 17 26 21

Read with the child 22 18 20

Buy school supplies 20 20 20

Check child’s homework 11 12 11

Buy books and workbooks 10 9 10

Have the child read aloud to you 9 9 9

Do homework with the child 8 11 9

Meet with teacher 1 3 2

Hire a tutor if the child is not doing well in school 1 4 2

Meet with head teacher 0 1 1

Attend school assemblies 0 1 0

Note: Columns do not add to 100% because respondents could provide more than one answer.

†: n=453; ††: n=485; †††: n=938.

To better understand the perceptions of local norms, the respondents were asked about other peoples’ reading practices with their children. A majority of respondents in Kasinje (48%) and in

Senzani (44%) said they believed their friends and neighbors read with their children. Another question asked if the respondent thought their children were interested in reading and the majority said “yes” (88% in both zones).

To try to determine household members’ sense of self-efficacy with respect to helping their children learn to read, the survey asked them if they felt they could help their child learn to read.

In both locations, 70% of the respondents felt they could. For those who answered yes, a follow-up question asked them to name ways they thought they could do so. In Kasinje 73% and in

Senzani 69% thought they could by reading with their child (Table 5). In Kasinje 32% of respondents and 24% in Senzani also mentioned having the child read aloud to someone.

Malawi Baseline Report 12

Table 5. Activities to Help a Child Learn to Read

For those who answered that they can help their child learn to read (unprompted): “What kinds of activities can you do to help your child?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Reading with him/her 73 69 71

Having him/her read aloud to me 32 24 28

Making time for him/her to study 35 31 33

Other (specify) 15 25 20

†: n=317; ††: n=373; †††: n=690.

Some household members, 30% in Kasinje and 23% in Senzani, felt they were not able to help their child learn to read (Table 6). When asked why, 76% in Kasinje and 77% in Senzani cited their own illiteracy as the leading reason. A smaller percentage (11% and 16% in Kasinje and

Senzani, respectively) said they were too busy. In both research areas, 8% indicated they could not help due to not being a good teacher.

Table 6. Obstacles to Helping a Child

For those who answered that they cannot help their child:

“What kind of obstacles make it difficult to help?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

I can’t read 76 77 76

I am too busy 11 16 13

I am not a good teacher 8 8 8

Other (specify) 6 9 7

He/she wants to play with other children 1 1 1

†: n=136; ††: n=112; †††: n=248.

3.4 Behaviors

Distinct from what they thought they could do, respondents were also asked if they actually do help their child with schoolwork. Of the household members surveyed, 66% in Kasinje and 69% in Senzani indicated that they do help. Respondents who answered “yes” (Table 7), were then asked how they provide help: 45% in Kasinje and 46% in Senzani indicated that they check their child’s homework. The next most popular response was for parents to ask the child to show their schoolwork (37% in Kasinje and 45% in Senzani). In descending order, respondents also mentioned telling the child to do his or her work, asking about the school day, asking the child to read, and reading to the child.

It is of interest to note the difference in the response to this question—about what the respondent actually does—and the responses to the previous question—about what a “theoretical parent” could do. The percentage of those responding that they actually read with their child is much lower than those who stated that a parent, in principle, could read with his/her child. This may

Malawi Baseline Report 13 indicate that conceptually parents understand that it may be a good thing to read with their children, but do not actually do so because of other factors (such as those listed in Table 6, or other environmental factors, such as the lack of books in the home environment as shown later in

Figure 6).

Table 7. Behaviors that Help the Child with School

Question (unprompted): “How do you help your child with school”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

I check his/her homework 45 46 46

I ask him/her to show me his/her work 37 45 41

I tell him/her to do his/her work 31 22 26

Other (specify) 23 25 24

I ask him/her questions about the day in school 20 23 22

I ask him/her to read to me 17 19 18

I read to him/her 16 8 12

I ask someone to help 7 2 4

I engage a tutor 3 3 3

I don't help him/her with school 2 1 2

†: n=300; ††: n=334; †††: n=634.

To further probe household behavior related to helping children with school, respondents were asked how frequently they help their children. The most frequent response was every day (41% in Kasinje and 39% in Senzani), followed by helping once a week (21% in Kasinje and 25% in

Senzani). In addition to being asked if they themselves help the child with schoolwork, respondents were also asked if anyone in the household did so. Table 8 shows that over half of the respondents interviewed (52% in Kasinje and 58% in Senzani) indicated there was a household member who helped the child with their schoolwork, and most commonly that was the father.

Malawi Baseline Report 14

Table 8. Household Member Providing Help with Schoolwork

Question: “Does anyone in the household help your child with schoolwork?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Percent who said someone does help child 52 58 55

Father of the learner 29 21 25

Sister of the learner 18 22 20

Brother of the learner 20 18 19

Mother of the learner 10 12 11

Uncle of the learner 7 7 7

Aunt of the learner 5 9 7

Grandfather of the learner 5 4 4

Grandmother of the learner 3 4 3

†: n=452; ††: n=485; †††: n=937; Subset saying someone does help the child: †: n=237; ††: n=282; †††: n=519.

Table 9 shows the type of help given by any household member. The responses were unprompted, and multiple responses were recorded from a predetermined list. The most common response in both Kasinje (51%) and Senzani (50%) was “Practices reading with him/her.”

Checking the child’s workbook and helping with homework were also frequently mentioned

(33% and 28%, respectively). In contrast, reading stories to the child was rarely mentioned (9% overall).

Table 9. How Household Member Provides Help

Question (unprompted): “If someone in the household helps the child, how do they help?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Practices reading with him/her 51 50 50

Checks his/her notebook/workbook 35 32 33

Helps with homework 30 26 28

Has the child read to him/her 21 16 18

Other (specify) 16 20 18

Helps to practice language skills 9 19 15

Read stories to him/her 12 7 9

†: n=237; ††: n=282; †††: n=519.

Table 10 shows how frequently children were helped with schoolwork by anyone in the household. The majority of respondents in Kasinje (51%) said their child received help 2–3 times each week, while 44% said the same in Senzani. This is in contrast to the larger percentage that said they themselves helped their child every day (40% in both zones). A large number of households in Kasinje (48%) and Senzani (42%) reported their child did not receive any help.

Malawi Baseline Report 15

Table 10. Frequency of Help with School Work (All Household Members)

Question: “On average, how often does the household member help the child with schoolwork?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

2-3 times per week 51 44 47

Every day 22 29 26

Once per week 22 22 22

Once every two weeks 5 4 5

†: n=237; ††: n=282; †††: n=519.

3.5 Household Environmental Factors that Affect Learning

To assess the extent to which children’s responsibilities within the household may constrain their ability to spend time on schoolwork outside school, the survey included questions regarding the activities children normally perform before and after school. The other environmental factor taken into account concerned the presence of printed materials in the home, which, in principle, could be used to help children practice their reading skills (conversely, the absence of printed materials would pose an environmental constraint that any effort intended to spur reading activity at home would need to address). Figure 4 shows the activities that parents report children are performing before school. In the majority of households, 79% in Kasinje and 76% in

Senzani, children are expected to do household chores. In Kasinje, 47% of the respondents said their children have breakfast, compared to 51% in Senzani.

Figure 4. Activities Child Performs before School

After school activities are shown in Figure 5, with nearly the same patterns of activities in both research areas. Household chores are performed after school by 53% of the children in Kasinje and 52% in Senzani. This is followed by playing (44% in Kasinje and 45% in Senzani) and

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Breakfast Packs Bag Other Activity

Plays Homework TV

79% 76%

Malawi Baseline Report 16 reading (44% in Kasinje and 43% in Senzani) as activities performed by children after school.

Homework was rarely mentioned as an after-school activity.

Figure 5. Activities Child Performs after School

Respondents were asked about the printed materials in their homes (Figure 6). The most common type of material mentioned were student workbooks (83% in Kasinje and 80% in

Senzani), and more than 60% of households reported having a copy of the Bible. In addition, 57% of the households in Kasinje said they had student books, as did 62% of the households in

Senzani. Other types of materials were mentioned considerably less frequently.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

HH Chores Plays Reads Other Activity

Homework TV Studies Religion

Kasinje (Intervention)

Senzani (Comparison)

Malawi Baseline Report 17

Figure 6. Printed Materials Reported to Be in the Home

3.6 Respondents’ Exposure to Messages about Children Learning to Read

Finally, to gauge the extent to which messages about reading are already prevalent in the target communities, households were asked if they had seen or heard messages about children learning to read in the past three months (Table 11). In 59% of the households in Kasinje and 62% in

Senzani, the respondents had not seen or heard any messages on this subject. Of those that had heard child literacy messages, radio was by far the leading broadcast medium through which that message was communicated. Exposure to such messages on other media was reported considerably less.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Workbooks Bibles Student Books

Magazines Adult Books Other Materials

Children's Books

Newspapers Korans

Kasinje (Intervention)

Senzani (Comparison)

Malawi Baseline Report 18

Table 11. Advertisements or Messages about Children Learning to Read

Question: “In the past three months, have you come across any advertisements or messages about children learning to read?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Not seen or heard any message 59 62 60

On the radio 72 63 67

Through drama groups 22 25 23

Through any other place (specify) 17 25 21

By community mobilizers 20 20 20

On billboards, banners, signs 9 8 8

From newspapers or magazines 6 8 7

On television 3 6 5

On the internet 1 1 1

†: n=452; ††: n=485; †††: n=937; Subset having heard message: †: n=186; ††: n=185; †††: n=371.

3.7 Discussion of Household Survey Results

This baseline survey indicates that households in the two zones share some characteristics, but differ in some notable ways. The distributions of households across wealth quintiles in Kasinje and Senzani are very similar, and almost all households in both zones speak Chichewa. Of households in the two zones, 85% never watch television, but 32% listen to the radio every day.

Responses from both Kasinje and Senzani indicate that most parents consider English as the most important subject for their children to learn in school, with only a few mentioning

Chichewa, and none providing “reading” as an unprompted response. This is not surprising, because in Malawi reading is not identified as a separate subject in school. A larger share of households in Senzani than in Kasinje think English is most important, and a larger share in

Kasinje than in Senzani think Chichewa is. Almost half of households in both zones think children should read well only by Standard 3, indicating that there is an opportunity to reshape that belief/attitude so that more of them begin to expect their children to read earlier.

Similarly, there is an opportunity to increase the percentages of parents who believe that reading with a child is a role a parent can play (from the baseline of 22% in Kasinje). Interestingly, a large percentage of household members (70%) stated that they felt they could help their child learn to read, and most thought they could do so by reading with him/her. An objective of the

SBCC pilot should therefore be to help households capitalize on that belief and turn it into regular behavior. For the 30% of household members who said they felt they could not help their child, by far the biggest obstacle the campaign will need to address is their sense that their own inability to read prevents them from helping their child.

Two-thirds of household members state that they already help their child with school work. The issue to be addressed is that among the things they report doing, few respondents indicated that they ask the child to read or that they read to the child (17% and 16% in Kasinje). The SBCC messaging will target helping children every day with some aspect of their reading skills, which

Malawi Baseline Report 19 hopefully will increase the 40% of households that already report helping the child in some way every day.

The SBCC messaging will also need to address the fact that majorities of households indicate that children have chores to do both before and after school. Increasing the supply of story books and story cards (which is also part of the campaign) should also help overcome the lack of printed materials other than school textbooks reported in most homes. The SBCC campaign will also encourage teachers to ensure that story books and cards are brought home more regularly as an additional way to help increase the availability of materials for reading practice at home. The results of the baseline survey of teachers are presented in the next section of this report.

4 Results of Teacher Survey

The baseline data collection also interviewed teachers from Standards 1, 2, and 3 in all the schools of the treatment and comparison zones. In addition to collecting information about the teachers themselves, about the attributes of the classroom environment, and about the availability of reading materials, the survey asked teachers many of the same questions as were posed to household members, both to gauge teachers’ attitudes and beliefs, but also to see what teachers thought about how parents or other household members of students perceived these issues.

4.1 Teacher Background Information

The average age of teachers was 34 years in Kasinje and 35 years in Senzani, with the majority of staff falling between 25 and 35 years of age (Table 12). More Standard 1, 2, and 3 teachers in

Kasinje are male (62%) than female, and the opposite is true in Senzani (51% female). Of the respondents, 53% in Kasinje and 49% in Senzani had been teaching from 2 to 5 years, with roughly the remaining teachers having taught for more than 5 years. Few of the respondents had been teaching less than one year.

Malawi Baseline Report 20

Table 12. Teacher Background Information

Kasinje (Intervention)†

Senzani (Comparison) †† Total†††

Age

20 to 24 4 11 8

25 to 34 58 43 50

35 to 44 18 19 18

45 to 54 20 26 23

55 or more 0 2 1

Gender

Male 62 49 55

Female 38 51 45

Number of years of teaching experience

Less than 1 year 2 0 1

2-5 years 53 49 51

More than 5 years 44 51 48

†: n=45; ††: n=47; †††: n=92.

As is often the case in Malawi, teachers reported class sizes that were large. In Kasinje, 98% of classrooms and 73% in Senzani have more than 50 students. Extremely large classes, of more than 100, are more prevalent in Kasinje than in Senzani (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Distributions of Class Sizes in the Two Zones

1 - 20 21 -

41 -

61 -

81 -

101 -

121 -

141 -

161 -

181 -

201 -

221 -

241 -

281 -

301 -

381 -

Number of teachers/classrooms per category of class size

Kasinje Senzani

Malawi Baseline Report 21

4.2 Teachers’ Perceptions of Parent Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors that Promote Learning to Read

Teachers were asked what they thought is the most important subject children could learn in school (Table 13). The majority of respondents, 69% in Kasinje and 60% in Senzani, believed

Chichewa was the most important subject. This was followed by 27% in Kasinje and 36% in

Senzani believing English to be the most important subject to learn. When teachers were asked what they believed learners’ parents considered to be the most important subject to learn, 76% from Kasinje and 70% from Senzani believed it to be Chichewa.

Table 13. Most Important Subject to Learn in School

Most Important Subject

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Question: “In your opinion, what is the most important subject for a child to learn in school?”

Chichewa 69 60 64

English 27 36 32

Other (Specify) 4 4 4

Question: “Thinking of the parents of the learners in your current class, what subject do THE PARENTS consider most important for a child to learn in school?”

Chichewa 76 70 73

English 18 21 20

Math 4 6 5

†: n=45; ††: n=47; †††: n=92.

Teachers were also asked at what grade in school they thought children should be able to read well and at what grade they believed learners’ parents thought reading should occur. The largest proportion of teachers believed children should be reading fluently at Standard 2 (39% for both areas). Less than a quarter believed students should be reading well in Standard 1. Many teachers

(42%) believed that parents think their children should be reading fluently the following year, in

Standard 3. Household member responses to this question (Table 14) showed a similar percentage of them believing that children should read well in Standard 3 (47%).

Malawi Baseline Report 22

Table 14. Grade Level at Which a Child Should Be Able to Read Well

Most Important Subject

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Question: “In YOUR opinion, at what grade level should a child be able to read fluently on his/her own?”

Standard 1 29 19 24

Standard 2 40 38 39

Standard 3 27 38 33

Standard 4 4 4 4

Question: “Thinking of the parents of the learners in your current class, at what grade level do THE PARENTS think a child should be able to read fluently on his/her own?”

Standard 1 9 2 5

Standard 2 13 9 11

Standard 3 44 40 42

Standard 4 22 40 32

†: n=45; ††: n=47; †††: n=92.

Teachers were asked what role they believed parents could play in helping their child with school (Table 15). Their responses were unprompted, and they were allowed to give multiple answers. The most frequent response in Kasinje and Senzani was to “check the child’s notebook,” at 60% and 40%, respectively. The purchase of school supplies (29% in Kasinje and

49% in Senzani) was the next most frequently mentioned role, closely followed by making sure the child attends school on time (40% in Kasinje and 36% in Senzani). For both survey areas combined, reading with the child, checking the child’s homework, and doing homework with the child ranked lower on the list. Also, of note is that very few of the teachers mentioned that parents could meet with the teacher to help the child with school.

Malawi Baseline Report 23

Table 15. Teachers’ Perception of Roles Parents Can Play to Help their Child with School

“In your opinion, what role, IF ANY, can parents play to help their child with school?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Check child's notebook 60 40 50

Buy school supplies 29 49 39

Make sure the child attends school on time 40 36 38

Read with the child 38 30 34

Check child's homework 18 45 32

Buy books and workbooks 27 19 23

Do homework with the child 11 30 21

Make sure child has good breakfast 7 32 20

Have child read aloud to you 13 26 20

Meet with teacher 2 9 5

Hire a tutor if the child isn't doing well 2 9 5

Meet with principal 0 0 0

Attend school assemblies 0 0 0

Note: Columns do not add to 100% because respondents could provide more than one answer.

†: n=45; ††: n=47; †††: n=92.

In addition to their own points of views about what parents can do (summarized above), teachers were asked if they thought their students’ parents believed they could help their child with reading. Of the Kasinje teachers 78%, and of the Senzani teachers 57%, thought this to be true, which is, on average, relatively consistent with the actual parent responses (70% in both areas).

Of those teachers who thought parents could not help their children learn to read, 40% in Kasinje and 65% in Senzani cited the parents’ illiteracy as a reason. In Kasinje, 50% of teachers and in

Senzani 40% thought the parents to be too busy with work or chores to help. These were the obstacles to helping a child that were most often cited by household members as well.

Most teachers believe that at least some reading materials were available in students’ households.

In all, 53% of teachers in Kasinje and 72% in Senzani thought that households have Bibles, followed by 40% (in Kasinje) and 62% (in Senzani) that thought student workbooks would be available at home. More than half the teachers thought students would have access to textbooks at home. Fewer than half the teachers thought that students’ households would have magazines, children’s books, and newspapers.

Teachers were also asked if they think the parents of their students are currently helping those children with their schoolwork. A much higher percentage in Kasinje (73%) than in Senzani

(54%) said yes, they believe parents are helping children. Table 16 shows the behaviors in which teachers think parents engage to help their children with schoolwork. In both zones, 28% of

Malawi Baseline Report 24 teachers think that parents are reading aloud with their children, and 24% and 13% in Kasinje and Senzani, respectively.

Table 16. Teachers’ Perception of Behaviors that Help the Child with School

(unprompted): “How do you think the parents of the learners in your current class help their child with his/her schoolwork?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Check homework 44 60 51

Ask to show me his/her work 41 32 37

Ask to read aloud 28 28 28

Read to him/her 13 24 18

Ask questions about day in school 16 8 12

Tell him/her to do his/her work 16 8 12

Ask someone to help 9 4 7

Engage a tutor 0 0 0

Parents don't help with schoolwork? 0 0 0

†: n=32; ††: n=25; †††: n=57.

When asked how frequently parents help their children with school, 100% of the teachers from

Kasinje and 80% from Senzani thought they helped at least one time per week. A total of 41% of teachers from Kasinje and 24% from Senzani thought parents help their children every day

(Table 17).

Table 17. Teachers’ Perception of Frequency of Help with School Work

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Question: “How often do you think the parents of the learners in your current class help their child with school?”

Every day 41 24 33

Twice a week 25 24 25

Three times a week 19 20 19

Once a week 16 12 14

Once a month 0 4 2

Once every two weeks 0 4 2

†: n=32; ††: n=25; †††: n=57.

Teachers were also asked about other household members—whether they think they help with schoolwork, what they do, and how often they help. Most teachers in both zones (91% in Kasinje and 82% in Senzani) think some household member helps children with school, and a majority of

Malawi Baseline Report 25 teachers (53% overall) think that household members help by practicing reading with a child.

Between 16% and 20% of teachers said household members help children every day, 42% said

2–3 times per week, and 32% in Kasinje and 22% in Senzani said household members help once per week.

Teachers were asked how frequently parents visited the school. Overall, 29% of the teachers in

Kasinje and 34% in Senzani report having parent visits at least once a month, while 20% in

Kasinje and 28% in Senzani said they were paid visits once every 3 months, on average. A total of 10% said they are never visited by parents. When asked about the primary reason for the visit, 31% of the respondents in Kasinje and 60% in Senzani indicated it was for disciplinary reasons

(Table 18). The second highest reason to be paid a visit was for grades (16% in Kasinje and 38% in Senzani). Concerns of learning and reading achievement were also mentioned by 25% and

22% of teachers (both areas combined).

Table 18. Why Parents Visit the School

Question: “When parents visit, what do they want to talk about?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Discipline 31 60 46

Grades 16 38 27

Concerns about learning achievement 20 30 25

Concerns about reading achievement 20 23 22

School activities 20 19 20

†: n=45; ††: n=47; †††: n=92.

4.3 Classroom activities promoting reading and availability of reading materials

Table 19 shows how often the teachers stated that they assign homework to their students. The largest proportion of teachers said that they assign homework every day (33% in Kasinje and

38% in Senzani), followed by those saying they assign it at least 3 times per week.

Table 19. Teacher Assignment of Homework

Question: “How often do you assign homework to the learners in your current class?”

Kasinje† Senzani†† Total†††

Every day 33 38 36

Three times a week 27 26 26

Twice a week 16 21 18

Once a week 24 15 20

†: n=45; ††: n=47;…