An investigation into stakeholders’ definitions of effective learning, student success and perceptions of the role of extra-lessons towards achieving effective learning and students’ success and the opportunity costs that are involved, at a denominational girls’ secondary school in Trinidad & Tobago.

As an educational researcher and a secondary school teacher in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), one of my key areas of educational interest is that of the role of paid academic extra-lessons. In this research, extra-lessons are paid academic classes that are run in parallel to the local formal secondary school education system in T&T. This research is focused on a denominational girls’ secondary school and examines stakeholders’ definitions of effective learning, student success and their perceptions of the role of extra-lessons towards achieving effective learning and students’ success and the opportunity costs that are involved. In T&T to date, there have only been three substantive studies in the area of extra-lessons. Thus, these findings may prove important, and timely, to constructively engaging and analysing the extra-lessons phenomenon as the findings may realistically have educational, cultural and social implications. A mixed methods approach was adopted where relevant comparable and contextual data were collected, from the students and their parents in the examination classes, as well as teachers. The results showed that all stakeholders recognised the importance of effective teachers to ensure effective teaching and learning, whether in-school or in extra-lessons. Also, the pressure for scholarship success was established to be a key catalyst for stakeholders seeking out extra-lessons, and for the most part, at the expense of extra-curricular activities. Notably, there was clear evidence of scholarship success without extra-lessons, that significantly involved all-round and holistic development opportunities.