Incentivising Textbooks for Self-Study: Experimental Evidence from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract We designed and randomly evaluated the impact of textbooks for a self-study scheme in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo targeting student achievement in primary schools. Students in treatment schools were 7 percentage points more likely to pass the national exam, and those who passed obtained higher scores. We also evidence higher scores on a French language test. The effects are primarily driven by student interest in textbooks, frequency of doing homework and motivation to go to school and continue education. Student achievement can thus be improved by intensified and diversified use of existing learning materials in poor and fragile settings.