Tuning Into Learning: Enhancing Self-Efficacy and Learning Behaviours Through Radio Education in Dedza, Malawi

Abstract

In the wake of COVID-19, distance education has emerged as a critical tool in developing countries to overcome geographical barriers and enhance educational access. This study evaluates the impact of a radio education programme implemented by the Korea Food for the Hungry International in Dedza, Malawi. It specifically investigates the direct and indirect effects of radio education on students' learning behaviour and self-efficacy, using survey data of 1654 students at 8 secondary schools in Dedza. Findings from multivariate regression analyses on two major outcome variables reveal that regular listening to radio education significantly enhances students' learning behaviour including class engagement and assignment completion, as well as students' self-efficacy, especially in terms of resilience, positivity and self-confidence. According to mediation analysis, self-efficacy is examined to serve as a partial mediator in the relationship between radio education on student learning behaviour. The results underscore the potential of radio education in boosting academic achievements, by utilising the constructs of self-efficacy to further enhance learning behaviour. The study contributes to the field through empirical and concrete evidence of radio education programmes and at the same time offers vital insights for interventions, using educational radio as a supplementary tool in similar contexts with vulnerability to regular education.