Nudging Early Educators' Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices: An Embedded Randomized Controlled Trial of Text Message Supports

Research Findings: Several barriers can impede the use and effectiveness of intensive professional development programs, such as courses and coaching, for educators across today's mixed delivery early education system. The present study introduces and tests a light-touch text message-based approach to encourage educators' use of two high-quality practices with children: (a) making transitions more efficient and (b) promoting children's language through open-ended questioning. As part of a six-week intervention, 116 educators participating in a statewide study of early education were randomized to a treatment group receiving three text messages per week about the targeted practices or to a control group receiving no messages. At the end of the intervention, teachers in the treatment group, as compared to those in the control group, spoke more to children in their settings, although they listened less. No statistically significant impacts were observed on transition-related outcomes. Moderated impacts by provider type were observed, with educators in family child care programs experiencing the largest changes in language practices. Practice & Policy. Text message supports can influence educators' practices with young children, though not always in expected ways or for all educators, suggesting that individualized light-touch approaches could respond to early educators' unique strengths and needs.