THE EFFECT OF EXTRACURRICULAR CLASSES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVE

Abstract: For some years now, the failure of formal education to provide adequate training to students is paving the way to new alternatives (Brenton, 2012:3). This situation has opened the door to ‘classes’ after classes better known here as extracurricular classes, henceforth ECCs. Nowadays, extracurricular classes seem to play a significant role in students’ performances particularly at the secondary level of education in Cameroon. “Up to secondary level, there are many Cameroonian pupils who are unable to count, read properly, or write intelligible sentences” (Safotso: 2022: 49). Therefore, this study investigates the effect of extracurricular classes on the academic performance of some secondary school students of the examination classes. The purpose is to analyze students' motivations when engaging into those classes, and their effect on their performances. The population of study was made up of 57 Terminale[1] students from various centres/groups offering extracurricular classes in the city of Dschang (West-Cameroon). Data were collected mainly through questionnaires. Findings revealed that students' enrollment in extracurricular classes is motivated by factors including overcrowded formal classes, regular strikes by teachers’ unions, poor teachers’ training and the desire to achieve the best performances by learners. The study also revealed that extracurricular classes dedicate more hours and more tutorials to specialty courses according to the student’s field of study. Given that not all students have enough means and time for extracurricular classes, the study suggests that particular attention should be given to students in examination classes through the quantity and quality of teaching workloads and classes, the limitation of striking periods and the improvement of teachers’ working conditions in the formal school system. [1]This refers to the ending class of the high school in the Francophone sub-system of education. The Anglo-Saxon system will refer the equivalent class as Upper Sixth.