Sub-Saharan Africa faces challenges in achieving high learning outcomes despite increased primary school enrollment, with a significant portion of children engaged in child labor. Parental engagement is crucial for children's academic success, but barriers exist for low-income, low-educated parents. Behavioral economics suggests that nudges, especially through cost-effective platforms like SMS, can overcome informational barriers and increase parents' focus on education. However, the effectiveness of such interventions in diverse contexts like rural West Africa is unknown. This study investigates the impact of an SMS and audio message intervention (Eduq+) on child learning and labor outcomes in rural Cote d'Ivoire. Messages to parents aimed to increase educational investment, while teacher messages aimed to boost motivation and improve teaching practices. The study explores whether targeting parents, teachers, or both yields better results and investigates heterogeneity in treatment effects across subgroups.

Existing research highlights the gap in educational investment between advantaged and disadvantaged parents across various income levels. Behavioral science pinpoints barriers faced by low-income parents, including the long-term payoff of educational investments, understanding children's needs, automatic decision-making, and the role of parents' own schooling experiences. While in-person interventions are often resource-intensive, nudge-based interventions, especially those using SMS, hold promise. Studies in high- and middle-income countries have shown positive effects of SMS nudges on learning outcomes. However, evidence from low-income countries is limited. A study in Botswana found that combined SMS and phone calls improved math skills, while another in Zambia showed positive impacts on reading skills with additional parental support. A Brazilian study using SMS nudges showed improved test scores and decreased grade repetition. The Ivorian context, characterized by low literacy rates and teacher absenteeism, presents an open question on the effectiveness of similar interventions. SMS messaging to teachers is also explored as a cost-effective way to improve pedagogical knowledge and motivation, though more evidence is needed. The Ivorian context, with its high levels of poverty and child labor in cocoa-growing areas, creates an ideal setting to explore the efficacy of Eduq+.

This study employed a school-randomized controlled trial across 100 schools (99 used in analysis) in two regions of Cote d'Ivoire (Aboisso and Bouaflé). Schools were randomly assigned to one of four treatment arms: (i) parents-only, (ii) teachers-only, (iii) parents and teachers, and (iv) control. Data was collected from 200 classrooms, with 25 children (13 CP2 and 12 CE2) selected per school for assessments. Two data collection waves were conducted: September-October 2018 (baseline) and May-June 2019 (endline). The Eduq+ program involved two SMS messages per week from December 2018 to June 2019. Parent messages focused on supporting children's social-emotional development and educational engagement, while teacher messages included pedagogical tips and motivational support. Both text and audio messages (in local languages for parents) were used. Child outcomes included literacy and numeracy skills (measured using EGRA and IDELA), and child labor (using child-reported engagement in four activities). Mediator variables included parental motivation, social-emotional engagement, and school engagement. Covariates included child demographics, baseline outcome measures, parental engagement, student effort, child labor, socio-emotional skills, executive functions, self-esteem, and mindset. Attrition weights were used to account for sample attrition (90.6% retention). Between-group ANCOVA regressions were used to analyze treatment group impacts, with standard errors clustered at the school level and fixed effects for grade levels. Subgroup analyses were also conducted based on child sex, baseline test scores, and parent education. The pre-analysis plan was pre-registered.

The primary outcome, a standardized learning summary measure, showed no statistically significant impact of any treatment arm. However, the parents-only arm exhibited meaningful but statistically insignificant effects (d = 0.081, p = 0.158), comparable to typical effect sizes in high- and middle-income countries. The parents-only treatment also showed a marginally statistically significant increase in child labor (d = 0.113, p = 0.091), contrary to the intervention's goal. No significant impacts were observed for the teachers-only and combined arms. Subgroup analyses revealed significant interaction effects: the teachers-only arm negatively impacted girls' learning (p<0.05), while the parents-only arm positively impacted learning for children with below-median baseline skills (p<0.1). No clear patterns emerged based on parent education. Exploratory analyses of potential mediators (parental motivation, social-emotional engagement, school engagement) yielded no significant treatment effects. A comparison of parents-only versus combined arms revealed a larger effect on child labor for the parents-only arm (p=0.072). The cost per student was 6.68 USD, with the potential for considerable cost reduction in future implementations.

The study's findings partially support the potential of low-cost, message-based interventions to improve educational outcomes in resource-constrained settings. While overall effects on learning were not statistically significant, the parents-only treatment showed positive trends and larger effects for lower-performing children. This suggests that such interventions can address some parental barriers but may not be sufficient to induce significant learning gains without additional support. The negative effect on girls' learning in the teachers-only arm highlights the need for gender-sensitive strategies. The increase in child labor in the parents-only arm suggests that parents' perceptions of child labor need careful consideration in future interventions. The absence of significant impacts for mediators indicates a need for deeper exploration of potential pathways to change.

This study demonstrates the potential but also limitations of message-based nudge interventions for improving learning and reducing child labor in rural Cote d'Ivoire. The parents-only approach shows promise, particularly for vulnerable learners. However, the study highlights the need for more comprehensive strategies that address both supply-side (teacher development) and demand-side (parental engagement) factors. Future research should explore additional mechanisms of change, and develop more targeted strategies for girls, incorporate parent perspectives on child labor, and consider cost-effective implementation strategies to increase scale and impact.

The study's limitations include underpowering for detecting small effects, limited generalizability due to the non-random selection of schools and focus on two regions, limited exploration of mediators, and the inability to isolate the specific components of the intervention driving any change. The simplistic measure of child labor might also have limitations.