Policies

Take Home Textbooks Increase Learning

Context and Issue

The assessment occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a nation marked by extreme poverty and ongoing conflict. In 2012, over 80% of the population lived below the poverty line, with South Kivu, an eastern province, experiencing significant poverty levels and frequent armed conflicts. The DRC has been consistently classified as a fragile and conflict-affected situation (FCS) country by the World Bank since 2006 due to its volatile environment. In such contexts, accessing education becomes challenging, exacerbating inequalities and jeopardizing the quality of teaching and learning. Fragile settings like the DRC present unique challenges compared to stable environments, potentially requiring different interventions to improve education outcomes. South Kivu is a valuable case study investigating effective strategies in fragile settings.

Solution

In each of the selected schools, a structured routine was implemented to encourage students to use textbooks for homework and quizzes in math and French. Students were allowed to check out textbooks twice weekly for homework, with subsequent weekly quizzes to test their understanding. The aim was to integrate this routine seamlessly into existing practices, fostering a habit among students and teachers. The intervention employed a combination of intrinsic and material incentives, including a star system for students and in-kind rewards like notebooks and pens. Additionally, schools received financial incentives to cover potential textbook losses or damages. This intervention was implemented in 45 primary schools, with another 45 as a control group. Baseline surveys and tests were conducted before the intervention, with follow-up assessments conducted over a period of one and a half years. Control variables were utilized in the analysis to ensure balanced comparisons between the treatment and control groups.

Impact 

The incentives successfully increased the utilization of textbooks inside and outside the classroom. In treatment schools, 81% of students reported taking textbooks home the previous month, compared to only 39% in control schools. Teachers confirmed that students used textbooks more frequently in class, addressing initial concerns about potential loss or damage. Moreover, the incentive scheme notably improved French language test scores by an average of 0.27 to 0.30 standard deviations in the second year, showcasing a moderate-sized effect compared to similar interventions. However, the incentives did not significantly impact math test scores, suggesting that language proficiency may influence subject-specific learning outcomes differently. Specifically, exposure to the French language, facilitated by textbook use, likely contributed to improved performance in French, whereas language barriers may have hindered math learning despite similar textbook access.

Analysis

The analysis underscores the nuanced effects of incentives on learning outcomes and emphasizes the importance of considering factors such as language proficiency and subject-specific challenges in educational interventions.