ENHANCING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT HABITS: A COUNSELLING INTERVENTION FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FAKO DIVISION, CAMEROON

Abstract This study examined how time management habits, developed through structured counselling intervention strategies, enhance academic success among students in secondary schools in Fako Division. It was motivated by persistent fluctuations in students’ performance at public examinations which have been linked to poor study habits, particularly ineffective time management. The study adopted an embedded mixed-methods research design, with a dominant quantitative component supported by qualitative insights. A single-group pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was used to assess changes in students’ time management habits and academic performance following the intervention. The sample consisted twelve purposively selected participants, including ten form five students and two guidance counsellors from Bilingual Grammar School, Molyko-Buea. Data were collected using study habits pre- and post-tests, a structured Counselling intervention protocol, interview guides, and students’ sequence test results. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and effect size analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings showed that prior to the intervention, students demonstrated poor time management habits characterized by lack of structured planning, study routines, ineffective prioritization, poor time allocation, and high susceptibility to distractions. These deficiencies were reflected in low sequence test scores, weak subject averages, and limited subject pass rates. The counselling intervention led to a significant improvement in all indicators of time management, with students demonstrating the use of personal study timetables, improved prioritization of academic tasks, better allocation of study time, and enhanced management of distractions. Correspondingly, students’ academic performance improved substantially, as evidenced by higher sequence test scores, increased subject averages, and a greater number of subjects passed. The effect size analysis further indicated that the improvement was statistically significant and not due to chance. The study also established that improvements in sequence test performance serve as reliable predictors of success at public examinations, thereby confirming that enhanced time management habits directly contribute to academic achievement. The findings demonstrated that the counselling intervention not only improved academic outcomes but also facilitated a transformation in students’ study behaviors, including increased time awareness, structured planning, and disciplined engagement with academic tasks. It was concluded that effective time management habits, when systematically developed through structured counselling intervention strategies, play a critical role in improving students’ academic success. Keywords: Enhancing Academic Achievement, Effective, Time, Management, Habits, Counselling Intervention, Secondary School. Students, Fako Division, Cameroon