By Mohona Dasgupta, Lead and Sangeeta Bahuguna, Consultant, Behaviour Change and Marketing, Rocket Learning. Edited by Apurva Desai, Communications Lead, Rocket Learning
Impact of Parental Beliefs on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Low-Income Demographics
Children from low-income families in India often lack access to quality early childhood learning due to systemic and economic barriers, compounded by low parental awareness of their crucial role in shaping their child’s development. Research shows that children without adequate stimulation in these formative years face challenges in school readiness and long-term learning.
Rocket Learning, an edtech non-profit, conducted a study involving over 500 parents in Nagpur, Chandrapur districts in Maharashtra and Jodhpur district in Rajasthan. Findings revealed that many parents believe a child’s intelligence is fixed from birth, lack confidence in stimulating their child’s learning, and fail to connect aspirations for their children with education. Additionally, parents typically associate learning with literacy and numeracy, undervaluing the importance of play and stimulation, while gender roles often dictate caregiving responsibilities within families – fathers primarily perceive their role as providers, leaving caregiving and child-rearing responsibilities to mothers and senior matriarchs.
Choosing the right behavior change approach
We developed the AIM framework to promote Awareness, provide Information, and offer Motivation for positive parental engagement in early childhood education. Conducting a test on 50,000 digital groups, we found that cartoons were 2% more effective than basic nudges in engaging parents while TV influencers were 1% more effective, highlighting the value of animated content in capturing children’s attention and fostering creativity.
Developing for the Underserved
The creation of Chulbuli, our behavior change protagonist, was driven by our goal to embody positivity while embracing relatable childlike qualities. Chulbuli’s journey, marked by learning from mistakes and gaining wisdom through play, was inspired by a 4-year-old girl from a local Anganwadi, chosen deliberately to highlight messages of gender equality. Her character design, reflecting extensive community discussions, encompasses various elements such as clothing, hairstyle, and physical traits.
Drawing inspiration from Katy Rath’s insight that the voices behind cartoon characters are as iconic as the characters themselves, we crafted Chulbuli’s voice to embody childlike wonder, infectious excitement, and genuine innocence. This approach resonated with both children and parents, fostering instant connections with Chulbuli, as evidenced by parents recounting her stories during workshops across the nine states where Rocket Learning supports the government in universalizing ECCE.
Cartoons facilitate co-viewing experiences and also bridge generational gaps, offering shared moments of entertainment and learning. Taking cue from premium early learning content developed by legacy brands like Sesame Street, Chulbuli and her friends’ adventures are designed for caregivers and children to learn important messages relevant to their needs. For instance, when Chulbuli courageously discusses a secret puppy with her mother, young viewers learn the value of open communication, while caregivers understand the significance of positive disciplining, enabling children to communicate without fear. This promotes meaningful co-viewing experiences between parents and children.
Learning, growing, changing together
The impact of animated characters on behavior change has been profound. Chulbuli’s popularity, indicated by children recognising her voice even before seeing the videos, led to our weekly campaigns extending into month-long efforts of four serialized Chulbuli episodes in July 2023, with the number of parents responding on Sundays doubling from 15,000 in Jan’23-June 23 to 30,000 in Jul’23-Dec’23, aligning with our audience’s media consumption habits on platforms like Moj and YouTube Shorts.
In our 2023 Women’s Day campaign, focusing on inspiring stories of remarkable women, pre-and-post survey analysis revealed significant results: a 25% increase in parents expressing the belief that a woman should prioritize a child’s studies over work, and a 20% increase in parents committing to sharing household chores. Our Padhai ka Partner campaign reported a 12% increase in households where children study with multiple family members.
Through relatable characters, real-life challenges, and practical solutions, our stories effectively engage emotions, provide inspiration, and convey meaningful messages. For instance, in our “Mummy Hai, Sab Jaanti Hai” campaign, Chulbuli’s mother initially struggles with confidence in handling her children’s homework while her husband is away. However, as the story progresses, she seeks assistance from community members, learns to use a smartphone, and realizes that education is not a prerequisite for meaningful engagement with her children. This campaign resulted in a 4% increase in parents believing that increased confidence and time spent by mothers enhance the chances of their children succeeding in school, along with a doubling in the time parents spend teaching their children daily.
In addressing qualitative issues, there’s rarely a single correct approach to driving community-centric behavior change. While only a few organizations are currently working on large-scale behavior change for low-income communities, collaboration to share insights on effective strategies can lead to the development of a comprehensive playbook for addressing key challenges in the early childhood development sector.
The transformative potential of utilizing characters and narratives to encourage positive shifts in parental behavior within low-income communities is profound. Through the strategic utilization of animated cartoons and the cultivation of impactful co-viewing experiences, we are not just shaping the present but forging a path towards a future where every child has equitable access to high-quality education, and every parent is equipped to champion their child’s educational journey.