KARACHI: A landmark study led by Dr Seema Lasi of Aga Khan University (AKU), in collaboration with researchers from Ball State University in the United States, has found that giving pre-school teachers structured training in social–emotional learning (SEL) significantly improves classroom quality and lowers behavioural difficulties among children of Pakistan – offering a low-cost, scalable model for the country’s public schools.
The findings, published in the peer-reviewed ECNU Review of Education (2026), come at a time when a large share of Pakistani children enter school without the basic emotional and social skills needed to learn, make friends, and thrive – a gap that research worldwide links to poor outcomes in education, health and employment later in life.
“Teachers are at the heart of early childhood development,” said Dr Seema Lasi. “When equipped with the right tools and support, they can create nurturing environments that profoundly influence children’s lifelong outcomes.”The quasi-experimental study followed 410 preschool children and 24 teachers across 12 public schools in Karachi over four months. Teachers in the intervention group received 48 hours of SEL-focused training, along with ongoing mentorship to implement strategies in real classroom settings, while a control group continued teaching as usual. Researchers then compared the two.
The results showed significant improvements in classroom quality across all key domains, including emotional support, classroom organization and instructional support. These improvements reflect stronger teacher–student interactions, better classroom management, and more engaging instructional practices.
Most notably, children in classrooms led by trained teachers showed meaningful gains in social–emotional development, and the share of children with behavioral difficulties was substantially lower in intervention schools than to control schools.
The study shows these gains are achievable in resource-constrained settings, making the programme a realistic blueprint for scaling across Pakistan and comparable countries. Key recommendations include:
Embedding SEL training in pre-service and in-service teacher education
Scaling up professional development programmes in public schools
Prioritizing classroom interaction quality alongside curriculum delivery
Designing culturally relevant SEL curricula tailored to local contexts
By strengthening teachers’ capacity to promote SEL, Pakistan can take a critical step toward more inclusive and holistic early childhood education.