Taabo Tutoring Study

Last registered on March 12, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Taabo Tutoring Study
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018080
Initial registration date
March 12, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
March 12, 2026, 4:53 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Côte d'Ivoire
Region
Taabo

Primary Investigator

Name
Günther Fink
Affiliation
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Jan-Walter De Newe
PI Affiliation
San Diego State University
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PI Name
Bognan Kone
PI Affiliation
CSRS
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-03-25
End date
2027-12-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
Tutoring, grade retention, secondary schooling
JEL code(s)
I21, I25, C93, O15
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Secondary school completion rates in rural Côte d'Ivoire remain low, characterized by modest pass rates on the Grade 10 national examination and significant early school attrition. This study evaluates the efficacy of two tutoring interventions—peer-led and teacher-led—in improving academic performance and school continuation. We conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 1,000 adolescents in the Taabo region, stratified into two cohorts: 500 Grade 10 students at risk of examination failure and 500 adolescents who have exited the formal school system between Grades 7 and 9. Within each cohort, participants are randomly assigned to peer tutoring, teacher tutoring, or a control group.

Treatment arms receive up to 15 sessions of tutoring focusing on core curriculum content, examination preparation, and academic skill development. The primary outcomes are performance on the Grade 10 national examination (trial 1) and enrollment status in lower secondary school in the subsequent academic year (trial 2). Secondary outcomes include grade progression, academic confidence, and cost-effectiveness of the delivery models. The study also explores spillover effects, including academic and well-being outcomes for peer tutors, and long-term indicators such as educational attainment, early family formation, and mental health.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
De Newe, Jan-Walter, Günther Fink and Bognan Kone. 2026. "Taabo Tutoring Study." AEA RCT Registry. March 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18080-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Within each sub-study, approximately 500 eligible participants will be enrolled and randomly assigned at the individual level to one of three groups: 1) Peer tutoring 2) Teacher tutoring 3) Control (no additional tutoring provided by the study)

Tutoring will be delivered in small groups and may include up to 15 sessions. Peer tutors will be nominated by school principals and randomly chosen among eligible candidates. Teacher tutoring will be delivered by trained teachers following structured lesson plans emphasizing curriculum review and examination preparation.
Intervention Start Date
2026-04-13
Intervention End Date
2027-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Passing the Grade 10 national examination (Substudy 1)
Enrollment in lower secondary school in the following academic year (Substudy 2)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
For the first trial, we focus on the grade 10 exam - passing this exam allows students to proceed to senior secondary school.
For the second trial, we focus on junior secondary enrollment.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary outcomes include grade progression, attendance, study time, academic confidence, and cost-effectiveness of each tutoring model. The study will also assess academic performance and well-being among peer tutors and longer-term outcomes.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
We will collect self-reported data on time spent studying and academic confidence, and assess the cost-effectiveness of these programs by comparing the impact of peer vs. teacher tutors to their cost.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
For each substudy:
- 200 control
- 200 peer tutoring
-100 teacher tutoring
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer,
Randomization Unit
Student (individual level)
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
The study will be conducted in 15 secondary schools in the Taabo area.
Sample size: planned number of observations
500 per study, 1000 in total.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
200 control, 200 peer tutoring, 100 control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
The study is designed to detect a 15 percentage point increase for peer tutors and a 20 percentage point increase in pass rates for teacher tutors off assuming a pass rate of 20% in the control group.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Comité National D'Ethique des Science da la Vie et de la Sante (CNESVS)
IRB Approval Date
2026-01-06
IRB Approval Number
00256/25
Analysis Plan