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Papers by Manjula Vithanapathirana

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of Teacher to Address Issues of Disruptive Behaviour of Student Learners in Mathematics Classrooms: A Study in the Sri Lankan Context

PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 2019

Learner's classroom behaviour has become a global concern due to the intense impacts on academic ... more Learner's classroom behaviour has become a global concern due to the intense impacts on academic performance. However, the decline in positive behaviour of learners in the Mathematics classroom impacts the Mathematics instruction in the inclusive classroom. Therefore, this study attempts to identify the role of Mathematics teacher to overcome the negative behaviour manifest by the learners during Mathematics instruction. Data for the mixed research design has collected from 25 Mathematics teachers and 330 learners from randomly selected two schools. The structured questionnaire was given for Mathematics teachers mainly to determine the awareness and applicability of different teaching methods and student behaviour during Mathematics instruction. Subsequently, learners were given a structured questionnaire to overview the perspectives of Mathematics instruction towards their learning styles. Sequentially,

Research paper thumbnail of EdTec Implementation in a global higher education network

This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexi... more This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexibility of learning in a global higher education in South Asia. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into education is widely perceived as an essential aspect of teaching and learning in contemporary society and therefore embodied in education policies across many countries, Cambodia and Sri Lanka included. Authors consider the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, a similar use of educational technologies may be found appropriate. Yet, in South Asian countries, education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed that is why this paper does examine government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Qualitative analyses of both needs and challenges of introducing and implementing ICT in these particular cultural contexts are considered as preconditions for an effective implementation of Higher Education (HE) skill development. Subsequently, a plan is concluded of how to implement EdTec in that HE network to trigger awareness about further steps of the recent measure.

Research paper thumbnail of Flipped classroom and its implications for teacher education

Research paper thumbnail of Improving Secondary Science Instruction through Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Sri Lanka

There has been a growing interest in incorporating CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning... more There has been a growing interest in incorporating CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology in the Sri Lankan national education system. CLIL refers to methods where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language to improve both academic subject knowledge and foreign language skills. The 4C's model of Coyle et al (2010) is a popular model for the implementation of CLIL and Sri Lankan system has encouraged using this CLIL model. The main objective of this study was to inquire how CLIL is implemented in secondary science classrooms and to support the teachers. The study was action research. The collaborative action research group comprised a faculty member, a postgraduate research student and ten secondary science teachers from five schools. Arising from the factfinding needs analysis, the intervention designed included researcher-led teacher workshops to support teachers to plan CLIL lessons. The lessons were implemented in the respective...

Research paper thumbnail of Improving multigrade teaching: action research with teachers in rural Sri Lanka

... reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Valid XHTML 1.0! Copyright © 2011 Library, University o... more ... reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Valid XHTML 1.0! Copyright © 2011 Library, University of Colombo |:: The Repository based on DSpace 1.7v and implemented by Harsha Balasooriya, ::Feedback/Comments. create counter.

Research paper thumbnail of EdTec Implementation in a global higher education network: Empirical data from a field study in South Asia

This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexi... more This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexibility of learning in a global higher education in South Asia. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into education is widely perceived as an essential aspect of teaching and learning in contemporary society and therefore embodied in education policies across many countries, Cambodia and Sri Lanka included. Authors consider the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, a similar use of educational technologies may be found appropriate. Yet, in South Asian countries, education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed that is why this paper does examine government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Qualitative analyses of both needs and challenges of introducing...

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka: The Buddhist perspective

Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several dec... more Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several decades. However, there is no subject such as critical psychology taught in universities of the country. Although efforts are made to interpret the mental processes and behavior of Sri Lankan society using the western theories of psychology, the psychological professional practice has not developed significantly in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist attitude and way of life has been in the mindsets of the Sri Lankan Buddhists for more than two thousand five hundred years. This article would discuss the Buddhist analysis of the mind, the key Buddhist teachings of volitional action, causality and therapeutic aspects. However, Buddhist psychological concepts are yet to be organized as academic curricula for systematic teaching based on its unique characteristics deviating from the mainstream conceptual frameworks.

Research paper thumbnail of Capacity building opportunities in project CONTESSA (Contemporary Teaching skills for South Asia): A beneficiary perspective

Research paper thumbnail of Learning and Teaching in Multigrade Settings (LATIMS) A final report to DFID

Research paper thumbnail of Quist Dawn, Resource Materials for Multi-Grade Teaching, Commonwealth Secretariat, London (2005) ISBN 0-85092-790-0 (273pp. in all, £17.50)

International Journal of Educational Development, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Towards Reforming Teacher Education Concerns and Priorities

Research paper thumbnail of Science for sustainable development and prosperity: The role of General Education for sustainable development

Research paper thumbnail of Blended Learning as an Emerging Approach to Teacher Education in Higher Education in Sri Lanka: Lessons from a State-of-the-Art Review

University of Colombo Review, 2021

Although blended learning in higher education is well researched, the emphasis on blended learnin... more Although blended learning in higher education is well researched, the emphasis on blended learning in teacher education is relatively limited. Blended teacher education is an emerging approach within the State higher education sector in Sri Lanka. This article presents a review of empirical studies from recent global literature on blended learning in teacher education in the higher education sector. The review addresses three research questions: a) the nature of the research publications, b) themes and sub-themes addressed in the studies and c) future directions for the design of blended learning and research. With a systematic protocol of selection and a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 54 empirical research articles were selected as the sample for this state-of-the-art review. Twenty-four countries were represented in the sample. The majority of the articles were on pre-service teacher education and the research design commonly used was quantitative. A thematic analysis of...

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka : The Buddhist perspective

Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several dec... more Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several decades. However, there is no subject such as critical psychology taught in universities of the country. Although efforts are made to interpret the mental processes and behavior of Sri Lankan society using the western theories of psychology, the psychological professional practice has not developed significantly in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist attitude and way of life has been in the mindsets of the Sri Lankan Buddhists for more than two thousand five hundred years. This article would discuss the Buddhist analysis of the mind, the key Buddhist teachings of volitional action, causality and therapeutic aspects. However, Buddhist psychological concepts are yet to be organized as academic curricula for systematic teaching based on its unique characteristics deviating from the mainstream conceptual

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka : The Buddhist perspective

Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several dec... more Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several decades. However, there is no subject such as critical psychology taught in universities of the country. Although efforts are made to interpret the mental processes and behavior of Sri Lankan society using the western theories of psychology, the psychological professional practice has not developed significantly in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist attitude and way of life has been in the mindsets of the Sri Lankan Buddhists for more than two thousand five hundred years. This article would discuss the Buddhist analysis of the mind, the key Buddhist teachings of volitional action, causality and therapeutic aspects. However, Buddhist psychological concepts are yet to be organized as academic curricula for systematic teaching based on its unique characteristics deviating from the mainstream conceptual

Research paper thumbnail of An innovation in Career Guidance in Higher education: Effectiveness and Sustainability of Institutionalization of Service Learning in the University of Colombo

2019 From Innovation to Impact (FITI)

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka:The Buddhist Perspective

Research paper thumbnail of Adapting the primary mathematics curriculum to the multigrade classroom in rural Sri Lanka

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of Teacher to Address Issues of Disruptive Behaviour of Student Learners in Mathematics Classrooms: A Study in the Sri Lankan Context

PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 2019

Learner's classroom behaviour has become a global concern due to the intense impacts on academic ... more Learner's classroom behaviour has become a global concern due to the intense impacts on academic performance. However, the decline in positive behaviour of learners in the Mathematics classroom impacts the Mathematics instruction in the inclusive classroom. Therefore, this study attempts to identify the role of Mathematics teacher to overcome the negative behaviour manifest by the learners during Mathematics instruction. Data for the mixed research design has collected from 25 Mathematics teachers and 330 learners from randomly selected two schools. The structured questionnaire was given for Mathematics teachers mainly to determine the awareness and applicability of different teaching methods and student behaviour during Mathematics instruction. Subsequently, learners were given a structured questionnaire to overview the perspectives of Mathematics instruction towards their learning styles. Sequentially,

Research paper thumbnail of EdTec Implementation in a global higher education network

This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexi... more This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexibility of learning in a global higher education in South Asia. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into education is widely perceived as an essential aspect of teaching and learning in contemporary society and therefore embodied in education policies across many countries, Cambodia and Sri Lanka included. Authors consider the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, a similar use of educational technologies may be found appropriate. Yet, in South Asian countries, education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed that is why this paper does examine government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Qualitative analyses of both needs and challenges of introducing and implementing ICT in these particular cultural contexts are considered as preconditions for an effective implementation of Higher Education (HE) skill development. Subsequently, a plan is concluded of how to implement EdTec in that HE network to trigger awareness about further steps of the recent measure.

Research paper thumbnail of Flipped classroom and its implications for teacher education

Research paper thumbnail of Improving Secondary Science Instruction through Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Sri Lanka

There has been a growing interest in incorporating CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning... more There has been a growing interest in incorporating CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology in the Sri Lankan national education system. CLIL refers to methods where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language to improve both academic subject knowledge and foreign language skills. The 4C's model of Coyle et al (2010) is a popular model for the implementation of CLIL and Sri Lankan system has encouraged using this CLIL model. The main objective of this study was to inquire how CLIL is implemented in secondary science classrooms and to support the teachers. The study was action research. The collaborative action research group comprised a faculty member, a postgraduate research student and ten secondary science teachers from five schools. Arising from the factfinding needs analysis, the intervention designed included researcher-led teacher workshops to support teachers to plan CLIL lessons. The lessons were implemented in the respective...

Research paper thumbnail of Improving multigrade teaching: action research with teachers in rural Sri Lanka

... reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Valid XHTML 1.0! Copyright © 2011 Library, University o... more ... reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Valid XHTML 1.0! Copyright © 2011 Library, University of Colombo |:: The Repository based on DSpace 1.7v and implemented by Harsha Balasooriya, ::Feedback/Comments. create counter.

Research paper thumbnail of EdTec Implementation in a global higher education network: Empirical data from a field study in South Asia

This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexi... more This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexibility of learning in a global higher education in South Asia. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into education is widely perceived as an essential aspect of teaching and learning in contemporary society and therefore embodied in education policies across many countries, Cambodia and Sri Lanka included. Authors consider the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, a similar use of educational technologies may be found appropriate. Yet, in South Asian countries, education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed that is why this paper does examine government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Qualitative analyses of both needs and challenges of introducing...

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka: The Buddhist perspective

Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several dec... more Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several decades. However, there is no subject such as critical psychology taught in universities of the country. Although efforts are made to interpret the mental processes and behavior of Sri Lankan society using the western theories of psychology, the psychological professional practice has not developed significantly in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist attitude and way of life has been in the mindsets of the Sri Lankan Buddhists for more than two thousand five hundred years. This article would discuss the Buddhist analysis of the mind, the key Buddhist teachings of volitional action, causality and therapeutic aspects. However, Buddhist psychological concepts are yet to be organized as academic curricula for systematic teaching based on its unique characteristics deviating from the mainstream conceptual frameworks.

Research paper thumbnail of Capacity building opportunities in project CONTESSA (Contemporary Teaching skills for South Asia): A beneficiary perspective

Research paper thumbnail of Learning and Teaching in Multigrade Settings (LATIMS) A final report to DFID

Research paper thumbnail of Quist Dawn, Resource Materials for Multi-Grade Teaching, Commonwealth Secretariat, London (2005) ISBN 0-85092-790-0 (273pp. in all, £17.50)

International Journal of Educational Development, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Towards Reforming Teacher Education Concerns and Priorities

Research paper thumbnail of Science for sustainable development and prosperity: The role of General Education for sustainable development

Research paper thumbnail of Blended Learning as an Emerging Approach to Teacher Education in Higher Education in Sri Lanka: Lessons from a State-of-the-Art Review

University of Colombo Review, 2021

Although blended learning in higher education is well researched, the emphasis on blended learnin... more Although blended learning in higher education is well researched, the emphasis on blended learning in teacher education is relatively limited. Blended teacher education is an emerging approach within the State higher education sector in Sri Lanka. This article presents a review of empirical studies from recent global literature on blended learning in teacher education in the higher education sector. The review addresses three research questions: a) the nature of the research publications, b) themes and sub-themes addressed in the studies and c) future directions for the design of blended learning and research. With a systematic protocol of selection and a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 54 empirical research articles were selected as the sample for this state-of-the-art review. Twenty-four countries were represented in the sample. The majority of the articles were on pre-service teacher education and the research design commonly used was quantitative. A thematic analysis of...

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka : The Buddhist perspective

Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several dec... more Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several decades. However, there is no subject such as critical psychology taught in universities of the country. Although efforts are made to interpret the mental processes and behavior of Sri Lankan society using the western theories of psychology, the psychological professional practice has not developed significantly in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist attitude and way of life has been in the mindsets of the Sri Lankan Buddhists for more than two thousand five hundred years. This article would discuss the Buddhist analysis of the mind, the key Buddhist teachings of volitional action, causality and therapeutic aspects. However, Buddhist psychological concepts are yet to be organized as academic curricula for systematic teaching based on its unique characteristics deviating from the mainstream conceptual

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka : The Buddhist perspective

Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several dec... more Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several decades. However, there is no subject such as critical psychology taught in universities of the country. Although efforts are made to interpret the mental processes and behavior of Sri Lankan society using the western theories of psychology, the psychological professional practice has not developed significantly in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist attitude and way of life has been in the mindsets of the Sri Lankan Buddhists for more than two thousand five hundred years. This article would discuss the Buddhist analysis of the mind, the key Buddhist teachings of volitional action, causality and therapeutic aspects. However, Buddhist psychological concepts are yet to be organized as academic curricula for systematic teaching based on its unique characteristics deviating from the mainstream conceptual

Research paper thumbnail of An innovation in Career Guidance in Higher education: Effectiveness and Sustainability of Institutionalization of Service Learning in the University of Colombo

2019 From Innovation to Impact (FITI)

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka:The Buddhist Perspective

Research paper thumbnail of Adapting the primary mathematics curriculum to the multigrade classroom in rural Sri Lanka