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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) to Reduce Risky Sexual Behaviors and Increase Schooling Investments in Malawi

Erick Gong
Berk Ozler
Researchers introduced a Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (VCT) program to young females in Malawi to determine whether the program affects risky sexual behavior and school performance. They found no overall effect of VCT on risk of sexually transmitted infections or achievement test scores...

Phone-Based Tutoring to Support Learning during School Closures: Evidence from Five Countries

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of delivering educational content via mobile phones on student learning in five countries. Mobile-based instruction, especially through phone call tutorials, improved foundational learning...

Relationship Banking in India

Researchers evaluated whether the intensity of personalized interaction between borrowers and loan officers in India influenced borrowers’ repayment behavior. They found that clients with personal relationship managers at the bank had better repayment behavior but were not more satisfied with their...

The Impact of Drought-Tolerant Rice on Local Labor Markets in India

Researchers are testing the impact that stress-tolerant seeds, which have better yields than conventional varieties under weather shocks, affect landless laborers.

Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents (ELA) in Sierra Leone

Niklas Buehren
Markus Goldstein
Andrea Smurra
Researchers evaluated the impact of a club-based safe space and life skills program on girls' time use, pregnancy rates, and school enrollment during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. While girls in the comparison group spent more time with men, had more pregnancies, and had lower school...

Structured Teaching and Targeted Remediation to Improve Reading Skills in Ghana

Erik Andersen
Simon Graffy
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of a structured teaching and targeted remediation program that combined semi-scripted lesson plans, student workbooks, a smartphone coaching and tracking app, and teacher training in evidence-based instruction on first-grade reading...