Perceived School Plant Utilization and Effectiveness in Rural and Urban Public Secondary Schools in the North West Region of Cameroon

This study investigates the utilization and effectiveness of school plants in public secondary schools in the North West Region of Cameroon, with a focus on comparing urban and rural settings. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through questionnaires and interviews with teachers and principals. A systematic random sampling technique was adopted to sample the population of teachers and principals. The sample contained 280 teachers from a population of 1031 teachers and 16 principals. The findings reveal that rural schools exhibit a slightly higher overall mean utilization score (2.57) compared to urban schools (2.50), indicating marginally better utilization practices. A t-test analysis confirmed a statistically significant difference in school plant utilization between urban and rural schools, with urban schools showing higher utilization levels. The study recommended that the Regional Delegate should provide school plant utilization training for school principals in order to enhance their knowledge on the use of the school library, school laboratory and ICT center in both rural and urban public secondary schools. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to optimize the use of school facilities and improve educational outcomes in both urban and rural settings in the North West Region of Cameroon.