Combining pre-school teacher training with parenting education: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

We used a randomized, controlled study to evaluate a government program in Malawi, which aimed to support child development by improving quality in community-based, informal preschools through teacher training, financial incentives, and group-based parenting support. Children in the integrated intervention arm (teacher training and parenting) had significantly higher scores in assessments of language and socio-emotional development than children in preschools receiving teacher training alone at the 18-month follow-up. There were significant improvements in classroom organization and teacher behavior at the preschools in the teacher-training only arm, but these did not translate into improved child outcomes at 18 months. We found no effects of any intervention on child assessments at the 36-month follow-up. Our findings suggest that, in resource-poor settings with informal preschools, programs that integrate parenting support with preschools may be more (cost-) effective for improving child outcomes than programs focusing simply on improving classroom quality.