Phone-call lessons produced large learning gains during crises in five countries

Five randomized trials found that phone tutorials worked across settings and delivered about four years of high-quality instruction per US$100 spent.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Researchers evaluated remote, targeted tutoring during emergencies in five countries: India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines and Uganda. The trials compared education delivered by governments and non-governmental organizations, including lessons provided through text messages and phone calls.

Phone-call tutorials improved learning across the settings studied, whether delivered by government teachers or non-government instructors. The researchers report that the approach was highly cost-effective, providing approximately four years of high-quality instruction per US$100 spent.

Findings from phone lessons

Across five randomized trials, phone-call tutorials produced large and consistent learning gains in India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines and Uganda. The gains were seen when lessons were delivered by government teachers and by instructors from non-governmental organizations. Text messages had mixed results. The researchers estimate that the phone-based approach delivered approximately four years of high-quality instruction per US$100 spent.

Why this matters during shocks

Disease outbreaks, climate events and other emergencies can close schools for more than 222 million children. These findings show that targeted tutoring by phone can help education continue during disruptions, including through government-led programs, while producing substantial learning gains at relatively low cost.

Evidence and limitations

The study reports results from five randomized trials, providing stronger evidence than an observational comparison. The trials covered five countries and tested delivery by both governments and non-governmental organizations. The abstract does not give the number of participants, the length of follow-up or details about how results varied within each country, so it does not establish how well the findings will apply to every emergency, education system or learner. It also reports mixed results for text messages, rather than a single effect across all remote-learning approaches.

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