Clinical trial NCT04458077: Discover Learning - Social, Emotional and Identity Learning for Very Young Adolescents
Official title: Discover Learning - Social, Emotional and Identity Learning for Very Young Adolescents
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Behavior, Adaptive
Behavior, Child
Behavior, Social
Lead sponsor: University of California, Berkeley
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Health for a Prosperous Nation
name: Camara Education, Tanzania
name: Ubongo Learning Limited
name: Dalberg Global Development Advisors, Tanzania
name: Save the Children
First posted: 2020-07-07
Enrollment: 333
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 9
Maximum age (years): 14
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The primary aim of the Discover Learning Project (Discover) is to test an intervention for Very Young Adolescents (VYAs) to promote positive, gender norm transformative, social emotional and identity learning (SEIL). A secondary aim is to better identify effective components of Discover that are scalable requiring the lowest resources to implement

Detailed description: This project builds on research from transdisciplinary developmental science that indicates that this period, which the investigators will call early adolescence (ages 10-14), is a period of dynamic maturational changes. These include the onset of pubertal development, which begins a period of rapid physical growth (including extensive brain development) and sexual maturation, as well as changes in cognitive, social, emotional, psychological, and behavioral processes. An emerging body of evidence supports the idea that this dynamic period of maturation is a sensitive period for social, emotional and motivational learning-in ways that can have enduring effects on a broad range of developmental trajectories including sexual and reproductive health, mental health, gender-based violence, education retention and attainment, and social development.

A foundational element of this research focuses on the social-emotional re-orientation of the developing brain at the onset of puberty, which appears to create natural affinities for discovery learning particularly in the social domain. In contrast to didactic learning models, discovery learning is a process through which learners engage in self-motivated inquiry, supported by teachers/facilitators, information and materials, in order to "discover" the intended content (Hammer, 1997). Key elements to creating sustainable discovery learning include: a) engaging motivation and natural curiosity and b) providing social scaffolding that includes a balance of monitoring/support while also promoting youth-driven discoveries (individually and in small groups). From a developmental science perspective, the beginning of puberty is associated with two important maturational changes that impact learning opportunities: 1) a general increase in the tendency to explore, discover, and to seek novelty/excitement; and 2) a particularly strong increase in natural curiosity to explore and understand one's larger social world, including social roles, social hierarchies, and an increased sensitivity to issues of social acceptance, admiration, and learning to establish key aspects of individual identity (Crone \& Dahl, 2012). A core element to this early identity development is understanding oneself as a sexual and gendered individual in relation to those around her or him; accordingly, early learning experiences during this developmental window are fundamentally shaping the development of these identities in ways that have profound implications for all areas of health-especially sexual and reproductive health and vulnerability to gender-based exploitation and disadvantage.

The primary aim of this project is to develop and test the Discover Learning intervention with a goal of promoting positive, gender norm transformative, social-emotional learning during this crucial early window of opportunity. This work builds on developmentally informed principles that emphasize the importance of orchestrating a sensitive balance between promoting autonomy and providing adult engagement in ways that scaffold the discovery learning experience (Alifieri et al., 2011). The primary content (learning about interpersonal relationships and concepts of Social-Emotional Identity Learning) and method (introducing positive socially scaffolded exploration of the use of digital technology for youth-driven learning) have been chosen to strategically leverage this window of opportunity occurring during this sensitive period of learning. The approach is designed to help youth develop agency, become empowered, and to explore healthy pathways to finding meaning and purpose in their lives. To our knowledge, this is the first use of an integrative developmental science approach to leverage unique learning opportunities in early adolescence to impact broad improvements in health and education.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Boys and girls currently enrolled in school/intervention site
* Ages 9-14

Exclusion Criteria:

* n/a

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Purpose from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Emotional Self-Efficacy from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Goal Orientation from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Persistence from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Empathy from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Internalizing Symptoms from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Externalizing Symptoms from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Academic Self-Efficacy from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Curiosity from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Teamwork from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Growth Mindset from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Outlook in Learning from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Technology Perceptions from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Social Self-Efficacy from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Prosocial Behavior from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Gender Norms and Attitudes from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Generosity from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Utu from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
measure: Change in Bullying from baseline to end of intervention
timeFrame: Baseline and endline, measured before the intervention and after the intervention (6 weeks)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Dar Es Salaam
country: Tanzania
facility: Miburani Primary School
state: Temeke
city: Dar Es Salaam
country: Tanzania
facility: Sokoine Primary School
state: Temeke
city: Dar Es Salaam
country: Tanzania
facility: Twiga Primary School
state: Temeke
city: Dar Es Salaam
country: Tanzania
facility: Umoja Primary School
state: Temeke
Study officials:
affiliation: Institute of Human Development
name: Ron Dahl, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Cherewick M, Lebu S, Su C, Richards L, Njau PF, Dahl RE. Study Protocol of a Distance Learning Intervention to Support Social Emotional Learning and Identity Development for Adolescents Using Interactive Mobile Technology. Front Public Health. 2021 Jan 28;9:623283. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.623283. eCollection 2021.
citation: Cherewick M, Lebu S, Su C, Dahl RE. An Intervention to Enhance Social, Emotional, and Identity Learning for Very Young Adolescents and Support Gender Equity: Protocol for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2020 Dec 31;9(12):e23071. doi: 10.2196/23071.