Papers by Rohan Abeywickrama
Sabaragamuwa University Journal, 2008
Parental involvement in students’ studies at the secondary level is crucial
for children’s academ... more Parental involvement in students’ studies at the secondary level is crucial
for children’s academic success and future well-being. This study aims to
explore how parental involvement impacts on the academic performance
of their children both at home and school and investigate the relationship
between parental involvement and students’ academic performance. A
total of sixty-eight parents of secondary school students participated in
the questionnaire survey, with data being collected using the convenient
sampling method. Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression
analyses were employed to identify the relations between variables.
The findings revealed that factors of parent involvement-, involving
in the child’s homework, discussing parents’ expectations of the child,
appreciating the child’s achievements, creating a positive learning
environment at home, and parents’ relationship with the class teacher
and with the other parents-have a strong relationship with students’
academic performance. Conversely, findings also show that traditional
forms of parental involvement, such as attending parent-teacher meetings
and supporting extracurricular activities have no significant connection
with academic achievement. The study concludes that a comprehensive
approach to parental involvement- including direct support, relationship building, and community connections- collectively contributes to improved
academic performance for students. These findings point to the need for a
network of socially supportive parents, which could improve children’s
entire academic experience.
Identifying ESL teachers’ perspectives of PD is important to provide them focussed Professional D... more Identifying ESL teachers’ perspectives of PD is important to provide them focussed Professional Development (PD)opportunities forimproved classroom practices and enriching their individual growth and well-being. A qualitative study was conducted with 8 ESL practitioners of a state university in Sri Lanka to understand the significance of PD for achieving the above outcomes. Semi-structured interview was used as the instrument for collecting data and Thematic Analysis for recognizing, arranging and interpretingthem. The findings of the study uncovered 14 perceptions of PD of which most have association with ESL practitioners’ teaching and learning whereas others have implications for all teachers in general. Participants’ perceptions are multi-dimensional in nature that demonstrates their understanding of the potential of PD activities for achieving multiple professional and personal goals.Although practitioners engage in both sponsored and independent PD activities to reach those go...
Sabaragamuwa University Journal, 2008
Today, educators are faced with the challenge of addressing the needs of the growing number of st... more Today, educators are faced with the challenge of addressing the needs of the growing number of students whose primary language is not English. While mastering other skills and content in other subject areas, there is the necessity for these learners to gain proficiency in English. Teaching English as a second language to all Sri Lankan school children irrespective of their social, economical or geographical background has been a major educational policy of successive governments in Sri Lanka since the early 1950s. This continues to be the declared government educational policy as in recent years more than ever, the country's need for English-speaking citizens has come to be realized. Teaching of English at the Advanced Level is considered an appropriate means of achieving the goals to equip them with the necessary knowledge and technical skills required for the modern employment market. The results of this cross sectional survey analyses the attitudes of students to the GCE AL General English course in four state schools. This paper further attempts to develop a model for building a direct relationship between student aspirations and English studies in order to achieve greater relevance in the GCE AL General English programme.The findings made in this study regarding the attitudes of students to General English in the Balangoda Educational Zone may provide useful insights for improving educational policy with regard to English education, as well as the quality of the English course offered by schools.
Sabaragamuwa University Journal, 2010
Error analysis is a type of linguistic analysis that focuses on the errors learners make. It cons... more Error analysis is a type of linguistic analysis that focuses on the errors learners make. It consists of a comparison between the errors made in the Target Language (TL) and that TL itself. For learners themselves, errors are 'indispensable,' since the making of errors can be regarded as a device the learner uses in order to learn. Researchers are interested in errors because they are believed to contain valuable information on the strategies that learners use to acquire a language. Hence, an error analysis is the best tool for describing and explaining errors made by speakers of other languages in order to know the sources of these errors and the reasons behind their continued occurrence year after year with different groups of learners.
VISTAS Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2012
The study investigated the creativity of the learners of English as a second language at a state ... more The study investigated the creativity of the learners of English as a second language at a state university in Sri Lanka. The sample consisted of 20 intermediate level second year undergraduates who were following the Core English Language (CEL) Level 4 course. CEL is part of the BA Degree Programme and it contains 11 credits. Their creativity was measured by employing a standardized creativity test. This investigation compared the descriptive statistics of the creativity test of the present study and the descriptive statistics of the standardized creativity test conducted in Hungary for a representative sample of high school graduates by Barkóczi and Zétényi (1981) to examine the statistical variations. The findings of the study showed that the respondents were sufficiently competent to create a higher number of responses and a considerable number of novel solutions on all the sub-tasks of the creativity test. However, according to the descriptive statistics, the subjects were unable to select their answers from multiple domains. The results of the present investigation deviate from the findings of the previous studies (Barkóczi and Zétényi, 1981; Albert & Kormos, 2004) which revealed respondents' were less competent in producing rare solutions and asserted their capability of selecting answers from multiple domains. Since the results of this study are different in comparison with the results of the previous research, further investigations are necessary to determine the creativity of learners of English as a second language prior to arriving at far-reaching conclusions. Apparently to promote creativity in these learners both 'teaching with creativity' and 'teaching for creativity' should be improved (Higgins, 2000). For a prosperous future, a country requires creative and innovative people. However, the education system in Sri Lanka seems to be working against this. At a national level government has a responsibility to promote higher levels of teacher autonomy and creativity in both teaching and learning
An Empirical Study. American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR), 2020
PD initiatives have a broader implication for English as Second Language (ESL) teachers at the Sr... more PD initiatives have a broader implication for English as Second Language (ESL) teachers at the Sri Lanka university sector to improve their professional growth and students" performance. A qualitative case study was undertaken with ten ESL teachers of a government university of Sri Lanka to identify the implications of PDfor the acquisition and improvement of skills and expertise for their improved practice. The study used semi-structured interviews as the research instrument, and Thematic Analysis for recognizing, analyzing and interpreting of data. The findings indicate three vital implications of PDthat enable teachers to develop a stronger knowledge base in ESL: up skilling knowledge and expertise, disseminating knowledge through research, and improving teaching skills. Although both sponsored and independent PD activities are beneficial in providing meaningful learning opportunitiestoheighten teachers" knowledge base, activities relevant, interesting and practitioner-centeredcan only maximize teacherengagementandachieve these outcomes. To which extent practitioners" perceptions are in line with managerialist or democratic professionalism is mostly determined by the nature of knowledge expected to be achieved by them. The findings of this study are significant to PD providers and policy makers fordesigningand delivering of PD programs in ESL to gain optimum outcomes through effective PD opportunities.
American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR), 2024
This study investigated the impact of social media usage on English language proficiency among Sr... more This study investigated the impact of social media usage on English language proficiency among Sri Lankan Armed Forces personnel, particularly non-commissioned officers, addressing a significant gap in the literature. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze data gathered from 234 military personnel. Social media use is measured across six dimensions: uploading content, sharing content, sending messages, receiving messages, downloading materials, and reading materials. Language proficiency is assessed in four domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The results demonstrate a significant positive effect of social media engagement on overall English language proficiency, with writing skills showing the most substantial improvement, followed by enhanced listening and reading capabilities. The study concludes that strategic social media integration into formal language learning can significantly improve overall English proficiency. The study addresses the key issues and arguments highlighting the implications of social media on language learning. It contributes to the growing body of literature on the role of digital channels in education, showing that social media is an effective strategy for English language acquisition. The study recommends a blended curriculum integrating social media platforms with traditional language training, suggesting specific strategies such as utilizing diverse audio formats for listening skills, engaging with professional content for reading comprehension, and implementing interactive writing and speaking activities through various social platforms. These findings provide valuable insights for military training programs and policymakers in the public and private sectors seeking to enhance employees' English language acquisition through innovative, social media-backed language courses.
American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR), , 2024
ESL teachers at the tertiary level need to understand what makes their students attend English cl... more ESL teachers at the tertiary level need to understand what makes their students attend English classes regularly. As such, this study aims to find factors that affect the intention of undergraduates to attend English classes consistently while reading for a degree. A quantitative study was conducted from the perspective of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by Icek Ajzen (1985), to identify whether there is a relationship between Attitudes, Subjective Norms (SN), and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC): the three determiners of the TPB, and students" intention to attend English classes. An online questionnaire was administered among 354 first-year undergraduates of the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. The findings were mainly analyzed employing Minitab. The Pearson Test of Correlation Coefficient and the Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis were conducted to interpret data. The findings illustrate that there is a significant relationship between students" Perceived Behavioural Control of English language learning and their Intention to attend English classes. Furthermore, of the three sub-variables of the Perceived Behavioural Control, only two: External Factors and Autonomy, indicate a substantial relationship with the student"s Intention to attend English classes. This study has implications for all educational institutions, encouraging them to provide physical facilities and the training for teachers they need in order to create a conducive environment where students can learn English. This would also provide a novel perspective on how English education should be reformed.
Vivid: Journal of Language and Literature, 2024
This study examined the influence of teacher Professional Development on the quality of learners'... more This study examined the influence of teacher Professional Development on the quality of learners' cognitive development, behavior management, and the overall effectiveness of Early Childhood Education. A questionnaire was administered among 285 Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers serving at private educational institutions in Sri Lanka to gather data. The stratified sampling method was applied to select the respondents and the findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, and regression analysis. The study results demonstrate that teacher Professional Development has a positive and significant impact on the quality of the ECE classroom, young learners' cognitive development, behavior management, and the overall effectiveness of the ECE. The current study provides important insights into the role of teacher Professional Development in enhancing the quality of ECE in Sri Lanka. The study underscores the critical significance of Professional Development in reinforcing the quality of ECE in Sri Lanka. It advocates for continuous investment in teacher Professional Development initiatives, recognizing their potential to raise the standards of ECE classrooms, foster cognitive development among young learners, and facilitate positive behavior management techniques. Furthermore, the research emphasizes the necessity for future investigations to explore deeper into the correlation between teacher Professional Development and the efficacy of ECE. Such inquiries could uncover insights and explain strategies aimed at optimizing the effectiveness of ECE across diverse contexts.
Vivid: Journal of Language and Literature, 2023
Code-switching occurs in multilingual cultures where citizens have the right and ability to speak... more Code-switching occurs in multilingual cultures where citizens have the right and ability to speak two or more languages. This phenomenon can frequently be seen in the English Medium classrooms in the Sri Lankan state school where English and Sinhala are used interchangeably for classroom practices. This article aims to examine subject teachers' and students' perspectives towards the use of English and Sinhala for instruction and learning in English medium classrooms in state schools in Sri Lanka, thus identifying how code-switching impacts on students' performance. The study used mixed method for data collection. Five English medium teachers of three schools in the Hambantota district in Sri Lanka were interviewed and forty students who are learning the subjects in English medium in five schools were distributed questionnaires. The study used random sampling method for selecting the participants and Thematic Analysis (TA) for identifying, organizing, and interpreting data. One key finding of this study is that most teachers employ code-switching in bilingual classrooms in order to make the students familiarize with the subject matter. Although the majority of students are willing to speak English, as a medium of instruction in bilingual classrooms, students need their teachers to explain the lessons in both media. Although code-switching can enhance a student's knowledge of a specific subject it does not make the student a better speaker or a writer. The current study has implications for bilingual teachers, students, syllabus, and material designers.
Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (SLJSSH), 2022
Sri Lanka's educational system has negatively been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially,... more Sri Lanka's educational system has negatively been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially, drastic changes in the regular pattern of learning and evaluation have serious impacts on undergraduates and lecturers in Sri Lankan universities. The aim of this study is to explore the state university undergraduates' and the test administrators' perceptions of online examinations, thereby understanding the challenges and issues of online assessments. To this end, a qualitative investigation was undertaken with forty undergraduates of four government universities and seven lecturers of two universities in Sri Lanka. The study used questionnaires to gather data from the undergraduates and interviews with lecturers. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Ninety percent of the undergraduates and university lecturers reported that online evaluation has become ineffective due to their lack of expertise in the learning management systems and inadequate knowledge of using digitized internet-assisted platforms. Moreover, undergraduates' economical, technical and personal issues have also hindered the effectiveness of online evaluation. Since the online examinations could not evaluate undergraduates' learning outcomes accurately as onsite examinations, the results of online examinations cannot be considered valid and reliable. The current study has implications for the university undergraduates, test administrators, and university management.
Andalas International Journal of Socio-Humanities, 2022
The aim of the current study is to examine the validity and reliability of online examinations th... more The aim of the current study is to examine the validity and reliability of online examinations through undergraduates' and lecturers' perceptions and identify the ways in which online examinations can be more focused and effective. To this end, a questionnaire including both qualitative and quantitative inquiries were administered among fortyfive undergraduates and fifteen lecturers of three state universities in Sri Lanka. Thematic Analysis and SPSS software were used to analyze qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Findings of the study indicate that 80% of the undergraduates and lecturers preferred traditional examinations to online assessments given its flexibility, validity, and fairness. Majority of the lecturers encountered issues during online examinations, thus they reported the need of improving the methods and strategies of online assessments in a way they measure undergraduates' performance accurately. Moreover, undergraduates' social, economic, technological, and psychological issues also hindered the effectiveness of online examination to a considerable extent. The results of online examinations cannot be regarded as valid and reliable because they were unable to evaluate undergraduates' learning outcomes as accurately as onsite examinations. The study has implications for the undergraduates, test administrators, lecturers, and the university management.
Sri Lanka Journal of Education, 2022
Policymakers in most countries have positioned higher educators at the epicenter of delivering qu... more Policymakers in most countries have positioned higher educators at the epicenter of delivering quality in education in both content and teaching, identified as essential for achievement of global participation and competitiveness. International education is dominated by discourses of the pre-eminence and prestige of institutions located in the Northern developed nations, and this extends to the value attached by Southern universities to academic staff with study/research credentials linked to such institutions. Implicit in these discourses are linear models of professional learning and development (PLD) that idealize the 'importation' of quality teaching practices. With international travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic excluding overseas academic sojourns, we have an opportunity to reorient thinking about development of quality teaching practices and educational research, and to explore 'home-grown' alternatives that can deliver not only professional learning and development focused on quality and excellence in teaching, but also productive engagement with the international research community in the field of education. In this paper, we present arguments for embracing local professional learning and development for higher educators based on well-known principles of reflexive practitioner action research (PAR). Not only can it align with current thinking on the nature of effective teacher learning demanded for delivering quality teaching and learning, but it can also overturn linear models of PLD and can build the research skills, profile and output of higher educators, connecting them with their international peers in making needed contributions to teaching and learning scholarship.
Sabaragamuwa University Journal, 2021
Every year, a considerable number of Sri Lankan students migrate overseas to further their studie... more Every year, a considerable number of Sri Lankan students migrate overseas to further their studies. In comparison to previous years, the total number of students emigrating has increased significantly. Especially, in such countries, many migrant students are able to find new opportunities for their career development other than furthering their education. This qualitative research aims to examine the language alienation of Sri Lankan students studying overseas and how it has hindered the achievement of their academic outcomes. Ten migrant students studying in Canada and Australia for more than six months were selected as participants in the study. Semi-structured interview was administered to gather data and Thematic Analysis (TA) was used to arrange, analyze and interpret the data. The findings of the study revealed that 90% of the participants experienced language alienation upon arrival in these countries. They could not complete many of their daily tasks, such as making friends, understanding lectures, and participating in classroom events, due to the language barrier. Participants reported that the inadequate opportunity for enhancing their English communication skills in ESL classrooms in Sri Lanka is the key reason for this situation. As they claim, Sri Lankan primary and secondary education should give equal significance to all the English skills in the English curriculum rather than prioritizing writing and reading in examinations. This claim points to the need of practising speaking and listening in ESL classrooms without focusing only on examination-oriented teaching.
Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (SLJSSH), 2021
A broader awareness of ESL teachers' conceptions for engaging in PD is vital for them to gain pro... more A broader awareness of ESL teachers' conceptions for engaging in PD is vital for them to gain productive outcomes from prevailing Professional Development (PD) opportunities. The qualitative case study reported here investigated the implications of PD initiatives to heighten ESL teachers' quality in their professional practice. The study used semi-structured interviews to gather data from ten in-service ESL teachers of a government university in Sri Lanka and, Thematic Analysis for recognizing, arranging and interpreting data. The results demonstrated four key implications of PD that empowered teachers to enhance the quality in their practice: (a) refinement of teachers' character and behaviour (b) sustaining teachers' currency of knowledge in terms of qualifications, content and overall knowledge and experience, thereby growing into quality practitioners with certificates and credentials, (c) enriching teachers' quality of delivery via improved skills and expertise, and (d) maintaining teachers' professional standards. These outcomes could be achieved through both independent and sponsored PD activities regulated by democratic and managerialist principles respectively. The study has valuable implications for PD providers and policy makers, and points to the need of considering them in designing, delivering and framing PD activities in ESL in order to achieve optimum learner outcomes via meaningful PD initiatives.
Journal of Faculty of Humanities, 2021
Professional Development (PD) initiatives are the key for English as Second Language (ESL) teache... more Professional Development (PD) initiatives are the key for English as Second Language (ESL) teachers in Sri Lankan Universities for heightening their quality of teaching and students' performance. This qualitative case study is aimed at identifying ESL teachers' perspectives of engagement in PD activities and how their perceptions affect their engagement in PD activities. To this end semi-structured interviews were undertaken with ten ESL teachers of a government university in Sri Lanka, and for recognizing, analyzing and the interpreting of data, a Thematic Analysis was employed. The findings of the study indicate that the participants' behaviour and engagement in PD activities during sessions were largely controlled by contextual factorsthe relevance of the content of the session to their practices, the interest in the session, the practitioner-centredness of the activities, and other contextual aspects-rather than their perceptions or type of PD. This means that, to which extent participants engage in PD activities, was mostly determined by the managerialist and democratic needs that decide the aims, the content, and the format of PD activities. The findings have implications for PD facilitators and policy-makers to introduce productive changes to the existing PD activities in all the universities in Sri Lanka. Moreover, the recommendations informed by the study can effectively be used for designing and implementing new PD activities for university ESL teachers. As such, ESL practitioners in the university sector in Sri Lanka may have opportunities to engage in focused and meaningful PD activities, and thereby enrich their knowledge, skills and professionalism.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 2021
National Colleges of Education (NCoE), being the pioneering teacher-trainers in Sri Lanka are res... more National Colleges of Education (NCoE), being the pioneering teacher-trainers in Sri Lanka are responsible for producing prospective ESL practitioners through meaningful pre-service training. The aim of this study is to examine to which extent the ESL teacher-trainees achieve the expected reading and writing skills at the end of their pre-service training. To this end, a purposive sample of eighty prospective teachers of English in four NCoEs were tested on reading and writing skills through a standardized test, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), in order to identify their reading and writing levels. The findings indicate that 47.5% of the total sample obtained less than 40 marks for the TOEFL writing while 41.3% of participants' TOEFL reading results were also significantly very low. Notably, there was a positive correlation between the external final examination marks for reading and writing conducted at the NCoEs and the TOEFL test results where the correlation-coefficient value was 0.65 in reading and 0.62 in writing. This validates that the teacher trainees in the NCoEs have not achieved the required reading and writing competence in English. Thus, their capability for strengthening the English language teaching and learning in the primary and secondary education system in Sri Lanka is a question. However, the findings ensured that by standardizing the English curriculum at the NCoEs, learner outcomes can effectively be enhanced, and thereby the NCoEs may produce qualified English teachers with accepted professional standards. The study has implications for all the stake holders involved in designing and delivery of English teacher education programmes at the NCoEs.
. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 2020
A broader understanding of English as Second Language (ESL) teachers' need to undertake PD is the... more A broader understanding of English as Second Language (ESL) teachers' need to undertake PD is the key to provide them better outcomes from the available professional development (PD) activities. A qualitative investigation was undertaken with ten ESL teachers of a government university in Sri Lanka to identify the significance of PD for their career trajectories. The study used semi-structured interviews to gather data and Thematic Analysis for data analysis. The research findings situated PD as the key for teachers' career growth enabling the institutions to achieve their goals, maintain ongoing operations and obtain optimum application of teachers' potential. The findings also demonstrated PD as a way for improving teachers' professional capital providing them the opportunity to enrich their professional growth and enhance their effectiveness and validity in the employment market. Although sponsored PD driven by managerialism was mostly supportive for teachers' career enhancement independent PD can also facilitate this outcome.
American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, 2020
Identifying ESL teachers' perspectives of PD is important to provide them focussed Professional D... more Identifying ESL teachers' perspectives of PD is important to provide them focussed Professional Development (PD)opportunities forimproved classroom practices and enriching their individual growth and well-being. A qualitative study was conducted with 8 ESL practitioners of a state university in Sri Lanka to understand the significance of PD for achieving the above outcomes. Semi-structured interview was used as the instrument for collecting data and Thematic Analysis for recognizing, arranging and interpretingthem. The findings of the study uncovered 14 perceptions of PD of which most have association with ESL practitioners' teaching and learning whereas others have implications for all teachers in general. Participants' perceptions are multi-dimensional in nature that demonstrates their understanding of the potential of PD activities for achieving multiple professional and personal goals.Although practitioners engage in both sponsored and independent PD activities to reach those goals they are likely to prioritize democratic over managerialist goals, thus they are inclined to undertake activities that help them achieve their democratic needs. The study has broad implications for all stake holders in the ESL industry as there is no alliance of perceptions of those who participate in PD activities and those who design and implement PD policies and practices.
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Papers by Rohan Abeywickrama
for children’s academic success and future well-being. This study aims to
explore how parental involvement impacts on the academic performance
of their children both at home and school and investigate the relationship
between parental involvement and students’ academic performance. A
total of sixty-eight parents of secondary school students participated in
the questionnaire survey, with data being collected using the convenient
sampling method. Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression
analyses were employed to identify the relations between variables.
The findings revealed that factors of parent involvement-, involving
in the child’s homework, discussing parents’ expectations of the child,
appreciating the child’s achievements, creating a positive learning
environment at home, and parents’ relationship with the class teacher
and with the other parents-have a strong relationship with students’
academic performance. Conversely, findings also show that traditional
forms of parental involvement, such as attending parent-teacher meetings
and supporting extracurricular activities have no significant connection
with academic achievement. The study concludes that a comprehensive
approach to parental involvement- including direct support, relationship building, and community connections- collectively contributes to improved
academic performance for students. These findings point to the need for a
network of socially supportive parents, which could improve children’s
entire academic experience.