The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Evidence: Effects of Sesame Street: A Meta-analysis of Children's Learning in 15 Countries

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Effects of Sesame Street: A Meta-analysis of Children's Learning in 15 Countries

Editor's note: For a summary of this paper on The CI website, click here.

Name(s) of author(s)?:

Marie-Louise Mares and Zhongdang Pan

Who published this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology - Volume 34, Issue 3, May–June 2013, Pages 140-151

What are the best extracts that highlight the evidence for the impact of a communication for development, social change, behaviour change, public engagement, or informed citizen strategy on a development issue and priority?:

Researchers found an overall effect size of 0.29. This translates into an 11.6 percentile gain (in terms of education). That is, an average child who does not watch Sesame Street is at the 50th percentile, whereas a child who watches is at the 62nd percentile.

To which development issue does this evidence and impact data relate?:

Education, Early Child Development

To which strategic approach(es) does the evidence and impact data relate?:

Entertainment-Education

What research methodology (ies) was/were used to produce this evidence and impact data?:

A meta-analysis of 24 studies of the effects of Sesame Street internationally.

What is the URL to access this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397313000026

Why was this research evidence found to be useful?:

(a) at-scale, global work in different contexts (b) everyone knows Sesame (c) key development issue - Education (d) direct connection to impact (e) independent academics undertook (f) reduces impact to one number (g) appears in a leading non-communication journal.

Participating organisations in the Global Alliance for Social and Behaviour Change - Building Informed and Engaged Societies were asked to identify, in their opinion, the 5 most compelling research and evaluation studies that demonstrate the direct impact of this field of work on a major development issue. This was one of the nominees. For the full compiled list, please click here. For the compilation of the key impact data across all research evidence identified, please click here.