Taabo Tutoring: Can Peer or Teacher Help Teens Stay in School and Do Better?

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This randomized controlled trial will enroll about 1,000 adolescents across roughly 25 lower secondary schools in the Taabo HDSS area. Participants are split into two substudies: current Grade 10 students at risk of failing and adolescents who were not enrolled at the start of the year. Within each substudy, participants are randomly assigned to peer tutoring, teacher tutoring, or a no-tutoring control, with tutoring delivered in small groups over about 6 to 8 months. The study aims to compare the effects of the tutoring models on completion of lower secondary education and related academic outcomes, as well as to inform cost-effectiveness of tutoring approaches in West Africa. Lead sponsorship comes from San Diego State University, with collaboration from Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute and Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria (Substudy 1)

* 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.

Inclusion Criteria (Substudy 2)

* 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.

Exclusion Criteria (both substudies)

* 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.

Where it's running

• Centre suisse de recherche scientifique en Côte d'Ivoire
  Taabo, Côte d’Ivoire Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Jan-Walter De Neve, MD ScD — San Diego State University
• Study coordinator: Jan-Walter De Neve, MD ScD
• Email: jdeneve@sdsu.edu
• Phone: 857-333-9297

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Negative Income Tax Trial for MCC students

  This trial tests whether a negative income tax helps Omaha MCC students advance in education and work, by giving financial support to eligible students who meet income and enrollment criteria.

  Recruiting University of Pennsylvania · Omaha, Nebraska · NCT07463131

• SchoolCare uses telepresence robots, school navigation, and teleteaching to keep children with cancer connected to school.

  This program will test whether telepresence robots combined with school navigation and teleteaching help children aged 5–17 undergoing cancer treatment stay linked to school and improve attendance, learning, and social well-being.

  Recruiting at 3 sites Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet · Aalborg and 2 other locations · NCT07398677

• Neurofeedback and mindfulness to reduce anxiety and stress and improve academic performance in nursing students

  This project will try combining neurofeedback and mindfulness to reduce anxiety and stress and boost academic performance in undergraduate nursing students.

  Recruiting University of Salamanca · Salamanca · NCT07234006

• Back2School: a Norwegian intervention to boost student attendance

  The study tests whether the Back2School program helps 9–15‑year-olds with low attendance in Norway, by starting the program now for half the participants and after 13 weeks for the other half, with both groups following the same school-supported plan.

  Recruiting at 4 sites Norwegian University of Science and Technology · Bergen and 3 other locations · NCT07463001

• Improving well-being in Swedish elementary schools with the PAX Good Behavior Game

  This study is testing if the PAX Good Behavior Game can help improve the mental well-being of elementary school kids and reduce stress for their teachers in Swedish classrooms.

  Recruiting Linnaeus University · Stockholm · NCT05407623

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.