Taabo Tutoring Study

NCT07486778 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IRB-25-0633
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Secondary school completion rates remain low in many low- and middle-income countries, including Côte d'Ivoire. Limited progression through lower secondary education may affect future educational and employment opportunities. In rural areas, pass rates on the Grade 10 national examination are modest, and some students leave school before completing lower secondary education. This study will evaluate whether tutoring improves academic outcomes and school continuation in the Taabo region of Côte d'Ivoire. Approximately 1,000 adolescents will participate in two related substudies. The first substudy will include 500 Grade 10 students identified by schools as being at risk of not passing the national examination. The second substudy will include 500 adolescents who previously attended Grades 7-9 but are not currently enrolled in school. Within each substudy, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: peer tutoring, teacher tutoring, or no additional tutoring (control group). Students assigned to tutoring may receive up to 15 sessions over approximately 6 to 8 months. Tutoring sessions will focus on reviewing core curriculum content, preparing for examinations, and strengthening academic skills. The primary outcomes are (1) passing the Grade 10 national examination and (2) enrollment in lower secondary school in the following academic year. Secondary outcomes include grade progression, study time, academic confidence, cost-effectiveness of the tutoring models, academic and well-being outcomes among peer tutors, and other longer-term outcomes (educational attainment, early family formation, mental health).

Conditions

Secondary School Entry and Completion; Education Advancement; School Attendance; Educational Attainment; Academic Performance

Keywords

Secondary education; School completion; Grade 10 national examination; Tutoring intervention; Peer tutoring; Teacher tutoring; Randomized controlled trial; Education intervention; Academic achievement; School enrollment; School re-enrollment; Lower secondary school; Adolescents; Côte d'Ivoire; Sub-Saharan Africa; Cost-effectiveness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Proportion of participants passing the Grade 10 national examination (Substudy 1)

  Defined as achieving a passing score on the official Grade 10 national examination administered by the Ministry of Education of Côte d'Ivoire. Pass/fail status will be obtained from official examination records. This is a binary outcome (pass vs. fail).

  Up to 12 months after enrollment

• Proportion of participants enrolled in lower secondary school in the following academic year (Substudy 2)

  Defined as official enrollment in lower secondary school (or equivalent formal education program) in the academic year following baseline participation. Enrollment status will be verified using school administrative records and, where necessary, household confirmation. This is a binary outcome (enrolled vs. not enrolled).

  Up to 18 months after enrollment

Secondary Outcomes (15)

• Proportion of participants enrolled in senior secondary school following the Grade 10 examination (Substudy 1)

  Up to 18 months after enrollment

• Proportion of participants not enrolled in any secondary institution after Grade 10 examination results (Substudy 1)

  Up to 18 months after enrollment

• Study time, homework completion, and exam confidence (Substudy 1)

  Up to 18 months after enrollment

• Proportion of participants promoted to the next grade at endline (Substudy 2)

  Up to 18 months after enrollment

• School attendance (Substudy 2)

  Up to 18 months after enrollment

Study Arms (3)

Peer tutoring

EXPERIMENTAL

Peer tutoring led by older and higher-performing peers from the same school.

Behavioral: Peer tutoring

Teacher tutoring

EXPERIMENTAL

Teacher tutoring led by trained teachers.

Behavioral: Teacher tutoring

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Control: No additional tutoring from the study; students continue to receive the usual teaching and any school-based remedial support.

Interventions

Peer tutoring BEHAVIORAL

Peer tutoring led by older and higher-performing peers from the same school implemented in small groups (e.g., 3-6 students). Tutors will be nominated by school principals and then randomly selected among eligible candidates to allow causal assessment of tutoring opportunities on tutors. Sessions will focus on: (i) reviewing core curriculum content; (ii) supporting homework and exam preparation; and (iii) building basic skills and academic confidence. Tutors will receive training on pedagogy, content, and classroom management, as well as simple monitoring tools (attendance sheets, short exercises). Student tutoring will involve up to 15 sessions, typically 1-2 sessions per week. For budgeting and planning, we assume an average of 10 sessions per student, with flexibility to increase up to 15 sessions where feasible.

Peer tutoring

Teacher tutoring BEHAVIORAL

Teacher tutoring led by trained teachers and implemented in small groups (e.g., 3-6 students). Teachers will follow structured lesson plans emphasizing remedial instruction and exam-relevant material. Sessions will emphasize active learning, practice exercises, and frequent low-stakes assessments. Teacher tutoring will involve up to 15 sessions, typically 1-2 sessions per week. For budgeting and planning, we assume an average of 10 sessions per student, with flexibility to increase up to 15 sessions where feasible.

Teacher tutoring

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Enrolled in Grade 10 (troisième) during the 2025/26 school year in one of the 25 participating lower secondary schools.
• Identified by school principals as weak performers at high risk of failing the final grade 10 exam (based on exam scores, teacher assessments, or internal academic performance indicators).
• Males or females, aged 12 years or older at enrollment.
• Residing in the Taabo HDSS catchment area.
• Able to participate in small-group tutoring sessions.
• Parent or guardian provides written informed consent for minors; student provides written assent.
• Attended Grades 7-9 (6e, 5e, or 4e) during the 2025/26 academic year.
• Did not re-enroll in any lower secondary school at the start of the 2026/27 academic year, verified through school records and home visits.
• Males or females aged 12 years or older at enrollment.
• Residing in the Taabo HDSS catchment area.
• Able to participate in tutoring sessions organized after recruitment.
• Parent or legal guardian provides written informed consent for minors; student provides written assent.

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals with severe cognitive or physical disabilities that would prevent meaningful participation in tutoring, based on information from parents, principals, and teachers.
• Adolescents or families planning to move out of the study area during the intervention period.
• For Substudy 2 only: adolescents who have already enrolled in an alternative education or vocational training programme at baseline.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• San Diego State University: lead
• Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute: collaborator
• Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Cote d'Ivoire: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Centre suisse de recherche scientifique en Côte d'Ivoire

Taabo, Côte d’Ivoire

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Kone S, Baikoro N, N'Guessan Y, Jaeger FN, Silue KD, Furst T, Hurlimann E, Ouattara M, Seka MC, N'Guessan NA, Esso EL, Zouzou F, Boti LI, Gonety PT, Adiossan LG, Dao D, Tschannen AB, von Stamm T, Bonfoh B, Tanner M, Utzinger J, N'Goran EK. Health & Demographic Surveillance System Profile: The Taabo Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Cote d'Ivoire. Int J Epidemiol. 2015 Feb;44(1):87-97. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyu221. Epub 2014 Nov 29.

  PMID: 25433704 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Jan-Walter De Neve, MD ScD

  San Diego State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jan-Walter De Neve, MD ScD

CONTACT

857-333-9297; jdeneve@sdsu.edu

Günther Fink, PhD

CONTACT

guenther.fink@swisstph.ch

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 12, 2026
• First Posted: March 20, 2026
• Study Start: April 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2041
• Last Updated: April 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: After publication of the main results
• Access Criteria: Public data repository

Locations

CÔ (1)