Phone-call tutorials improve learning cost-effectively during education emergencies

Journal article

Across five randomized trials in India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines and Uganda, weekly 20-minute mobile-phone-call tutorials produced large learning gains for primary-school children during school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments can keep children learning through societal shocks using this approach, which combines low-cost, high-access mobile-phone technology with high-quality tutoring targeted to each child’s learning level.

Authors: Angrist, N; Ainomugisha, M; Bergman, P; Crossley, C; Cullen, C

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Journal: Nature
• Publication date: 2026-09-09
• DOI: 10.1038/d41586-026-02700-4
• EISSN: 1476-4687
• ISSN: 0028-0836
• Language: English
• Keywords: Psychological intervention; Randomized controlled trial; Experiential learning; Problem-based learning; Educational technology; Active learning (machine learning); Online learning