Spreading the word: Can social connection enhance education outcomes?

PhD candidate Keyu Guo.

Sometimes small talk can have a big impact.

For Monash Business School PhD candidate Keyu Guo, a casual chat with her supervisor led to an epiphany that has shaped the direction of her research.

“I realised people talking, spending time together, that's how information spreads,” Ms Guo said.

“Imagine if you're benefiting from certain programs - could your friend also benefit simply by interacting with you, even if she didn't directly participate in the program?

“That was when I first understood that everyday social interactions and well-planned programs can be connected, and even small conversations can have a significant impact.”

Value of parent-to-parent support

In her thesis, Ms Guo is exploring the power of parental social networks in spreading the benefits of early childhood interventions in communities where children have limited access to other formal alternatives.

“It's commonly recognised that children often share what they've learned at school while playing together,” she said.

“However, little is known about the impact of the parents’ social network structure on early childhood development. This is important since parents of such young children often learn about childcaring and rearing from each other.”

To gauge the influence of these networks, Ms Guo joined a team led by Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability (CDES) Director Professor Asad Islam, in an early childhood development program in Bangladesh.

They use parental social networks to understand the extent of the impact on children who participated in the program with children who were not invited to take part.

Ms Guo said the findings would provide valuable insights into the importance of considering social networks when designing education policies.

“The work highlights the potential for further research to create effective strategies that can help policymakers improve early childhood educational outcomes and help children prepare for primary school, especially in settings where preschool is not common,” she said.

Alignment with the UN SDGs

The research is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to ensure all children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education by 2030.

“Intellectual and social-emotional development during early childhood is widely recognised as a critical period that can have long-lasting impacts throughout a child’s life,” she said.

CDES Director Prof Islam said the research would help developing nations design cost-effective early childhood interventions.

“Understanding what works, and designing appropriate early childhood interventions in poor settings in developing countries, is important for child development and educational outcomes later in life,” Prof Islam said.

“The research will generate significant benefits to the community and address the important issue of children's wellbeing.”

Ms Guo said the support she has received working with Prof Islam had been crucial to the success of her research.

“One of the greatest aspects of studying a PhD program in Monash Business School is the profound sense of support and respect given to my thoughts from my supervisors, Prof Asad Islam and Prof Yves Zenou,” she said.

“This has really helped me to navigate the path I want to pursue and to grow as an independent researcher.”