Catch Up’s Influence on Social-emotional Learning in Zambian Schools

This qualitative study examines how Zambia's Catch Up programme, an adaptation of Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) and Learning through Play (LtP) approaches that groups learners by ability and uses playful, learner-centred instruction, may support social-emotional learning (SEL) alongside its core literacy and numeracy goals. Building on a VVOB study from 2023 that first flagged this connection, researchers conducted school case studies, sense-making workshops with trainers, teachers and parents, and a re-analysis of earlier quantitative data across six schools in Zambia's Central Province.

The report is aimed at policymakers, teacher trainers, programme staff and researchers working on foundational learning and SEL. It finds that Catch Up appears to strengthen empathy, belonging and confidence, largely through small class sizes, play-based methods and positive discipline, though impacts are uneven and SEL is rarely addressed explicitly in training. The findings inform recommendations for policy, practice and further research on embedding SEL within foundational learning programmes.