Sri Lankan State Universities Research Articles

Student Engagement in the Online Learning Environment during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sri Lanka

Aims: This study focuses on factors affecting students’ engagement, and their issues and perceptions of online education in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management related curricula in Sri Lankan state universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Place and Duration of the Study: Data were collected from university undergraduates who studied Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management subjects in six state universities in Sri Lanka from January 2022 to February 2022. Methodology: The primary data were collected from 215 university undergraduates in relevant discipline through a pre-tested questionnaire developed by the researcher via Google form. All the respondents were volunteered to complete the questionnaire and submitted their responses online and those responses were collected anonymously. The Factor analysis was employed in the study to generate a single value for the dependent variable and the multiple linear regression was used to understand the factors affecting Student engagement in online learning. Results: The study indicates that the majority of students showed a positive attitude toward online education. The study findings show the student-teacher interaction is a positive and significant factor in online education in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management disciplines but student-to-student interaction is not a significant factor for student engagement in online education. Moreover, when the students are female and students are in their final year, they are most likely to engage in online education. The study also shows that the majority of students prefer online education even though some highlighted the negative issues. However, providing continuous and stable access to the internet connection and providing other infrastructure facilities to students and teachers are some of the main challenges in promoting online education in Sri Lanka. In addition, proper attention should be paid to assure the quality of online education to develop students holistically. Conclusion: Study concludes that building and maintaining student-teacher interaction is one of the key determinants in student engagement in online education. Also student engagement can be enhanced through a student-centered learning activities which focus on their active contribution.

Course design aspects of blended learning in undergraduate education

Blended learning is a popular teaching mode in today’s higher education system. Course design for blended education presents a challenge for educational specialists. This research aims to identify the essential aspects of course design in undergraduate blended learning. Course content, course structure and delivery, collaborative engagement, learner facilitation, and assessment and evaluation were discovered as aspects of blended learning course design. Based on the identified aspects, a survey questionnaire was designed and pilot tested to check the reliability and validity of the measurement tool. The analysis revealed that the questionnaire was acceptable in terms of psychometric characteristics after removing four items. Therefore, 23 items remained in the final questionnaire, which was considered reliable and valid for the context. The information was gathered using an online questionnaire from academic staff at Sri Lankan state universities attached to the departments conducting degree programs in the computing discipline. There were 97 participants included in the final dataset. The results were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results revealed that ‘assessment and evaluation’ was highly considered when designing undergraduate blended learning courses, while other aspects which are also imperative, have been paid less attention by the university academicians.

“The Catalysts of Choice:” Factors influencing the Choice of Specialization Areas by Management Undergraduates in University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

This study was contextually undertaken in the Faculty of Management, University of Peradeniya, with two objectives: to explore the contextual factors affecting the selection of specialization and to classify such contextual factors. The qualitative interpretive methodology, precisely a case study strategy, was followed. Thematic analysis was conducted on the data collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 second and third-year students from different ethnicities and genders. The study found that three major arenas, the self, the people, and the information, influence the choice of specialization areas. Theoretically, this is one of the pioneering qualitative explorations on the factors influencing the choice of specialization of management undergraduates of Sri Lankan State universities.

The Impact of Facebook Advertising and eWOM on Brand Awareness and Purchase Intention: Reference to the Fashion Retail Industry in Sri Lanka

Social media has become a famous tool for integrating and interacting with a wide array of people and businesses in the virtual world. Due to the direct communication that social media marketing has made possible between businesses and their clients, it has given traditional marketing a fresh viewpoint. Compared with the traditional modes of communication, social media itself has been able to attract massive customer and business attraction due to its superiority. In light of such positive ground for social media, this study aims to examine the impact of Facebook advertising on brand awareness and purchase intention. In the Sri Lankan context, fashion retail companies extensively utilize social media platforms for marketing purposes, while customers actively use these platforms to gather information about products they intend to buy. However, only a limited number of researchers have kept an interest in the field in the Sri Lankan context. A form of explanatory research method was applied. The sample is 150 Facebook users selected among Sri Lankan state universities using the convenience sampling technique. The results highlighted that Facebook advertising, and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) have a significant positive relationship with brand awareness and there is a significant positive relationship between brand awareness and purchase intention. Finally, this study showed that Facebook advertising and eWOM had an indirect but significant, positive relationship with purchase intention. The practical value of this research is illustrated by the fact that managers may use the findings to enhance their social media marketing initiatives, particularly those using Facebook fan pages, to increase their brand awareness. Additionally, research suggests that the cyber world plays a significant marketing role in contemporary marketing.

Student-centered Learning Approaches in The State Universities of Sri Lanka: Exploring Socio-cultural Impacts through A Conceptual Analysis

This article provides a comprehensive examination of student-centered learning (SCL) in Sri Lanka's state tertiary education sector, focusing on its socio-cultural influences. The study explores the intricate relationship between pedagogical methods and societal dynamics, highlighting how SCL enhances student engagement and independent thinking. Using a literature review of theoretical frameworks and empirical studies, this paper delves into the complex interplay between SCL and socio-cultural factors, including cultural values, social norms, and educational traditions unique to Sri Lanka. The research investigates the impact of SCL on key stakeholders and analyses various aspects of SCL, considering its principles, practices, and outcomes. It also addresses how these align with traditional Sri Lankan values, such as respect for authority, collectivism, and communal harmony, which have historically influenced education in the country. This paper emphasises the need for a pedagogical shift and concrete action plans. It advocates for faculty development programmes and institutional support to effectively implement SCL in Sri Lankan state universities. Additionally, the study anticipates and addresses potential challenges in adopting this modern learning approach in Sri Lanka.The findings have practical implications for policymakers, educational institutions, and educators. They highlight the importance of considering support mechanisms, curriculum design, teacher training, and cultural sensitivities to promote student engagement, empowerment, and holistic development in Sri Lanka's educational landscape.

Factors Affecting Postgraduate Student’s Intention in Using an E-examination System During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Application of UTAUT Mode

The emergence of COVID-19 has compelled higher educational institutions across the globe to embrace remote learning as a medium of teaching. Furthermore, as a method of evaluation e-exam systems are widely used at present. Considering the e-exam systems, prior research has mainly focused on technological advancements and how to overcome technological barriers in using e-exam systems. Behavioral aspects of students have been taken into consideration in this study, which focuses on identifying the factors affecting postgraduate student’s intention in using the e-examination system during the Covid-19 pandemic. To accomplish this objective modified UTAUT model was used and the required data was collected from 167 postgraduates in Sri Lankan state universities chosen through the purposive sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the sample and the analysis was done using Smart PLS-SEM and SPSS software. The findings revealed that except for social influence and facilitating conditions, all the other variables have a significant impact on behavioral intention to use e-exam systems, and considering the mediating effect of performance expectancy and effort expectancy, the relationships between computer anxiety and behavioral intention and fear of infectious diseases and behavioral intention are mediated by the performance expectancy and effort expectancy. In terms of theoretical implications, this study fills the existing gap in the literature about the student’s perspective on using an e-exam system, and from the managerial point of view, the insights of this enhancing the performance, habit, and reducing the effort of using an e-exam system the university students can be adapted to use e-exam systems even in future.

Impact of the extended version of Technology Acceptance Model on predicting learners’ adoption to synchronous online learning in Sri Lanka

Synchronous online learning has played the prime role in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 throughout the world. Despite the technological advancement, the immediate shift towards the synchronous online learning has challenged availability and accessibility to the quality learning due to the over-reliance on the class-room based teaching and learning. Thus, this study focuses on investigating the impact of factors affecting adoption to synchronous online learning amidst the COVID-19 in Sri Lanka. As the consequence, institutions can pay attention on the essential factors to enhance the adoption to synchronous online learning. In this study, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has extended with the external variable of perceived self-efficacy and tested its impact on all other core constructs of TAM. This study used online questionnaire to collect the data from undergraduates of Sri Lankan state universities. Consequently, the study received 382 valid responses. For the data analysis, IBM SPSS statistics 25 and SmartPLS 4 were used and hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM. The study has identified five variables namely perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, perceived self-efficacy and behavioral intention to use. Based on the statistical evidence, all the proposed relationships were supported except attitude and perceived usefulness towards behavioral intention to use. Notably, this study has both theoretical and practical implications. To the best of author’s knowledge, this study firstly attempted to investigate the adoption synchronous online learning with the extended version of TAM using PLS-SEM. Most of the previous studies explored the online learning in general. Furthermore, the findings can be used to establish policies to make synchronous online learning more effective, specifically if the any pandemic occurs in future. 
 Keywords: Synchronous online learning; TAM; Sri Lanka; Adoption to synchronous online learning; Intention to use

Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Career Decision-Making of Management Undergraduates

Management undergraduates in Sri Lankan state universities have been facing huge challenges in making decisions related to their career. Hence, this article examines the impact of five dimensions of Emotional Intelligence (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills) on Career Decision-making. Data were collected from 280 management undergraduates of state universities in Sri Lanka. Simple regression analysis and Pearson correlation were used to test the study hypotheses. Analyzed results showed a positive impact of emotional intelligence on career decision-making. Further, the five dimensions of emotional intelligence had a strong positive relationship with career decision-making. The study results underlined that undergraduates could improve their career decision-making through their emotional intelligence. The present study would provide direction to HR managers, HR policy makers, career counselors, undergraduates and future researchers. The implications of the results and limitations of the study are also noted.

Work-Life Balance of Women Academics in Sri Lanka- The moderating effect of Individualism vs. Collectivism

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between work-family demands with work-life balance (WLB) and the moderating effect of individualism vs. collectivism on the identified relationship of women academics. Nowadays, the education sector in Sri Lanka is required to achieve the global demands and expectations of the new world. Consequently, the Sri Lankan higher education sector is continuously upgrading. Thus, women holding academic positions require attributes of intelligence, knowledge, and skills. Still, women in academics enjoy less freedom in family life relative to their men counterparts. This study is among the first attempts to explore the moderating effect of Individualism vs. Collectivism on the phenomenon of WLB among women academics in Sri Lanka. Focusing on WLB in the academic profession, this study has used the quantitative method to explore the relationship between work-family demand and WLB of culturally diverse women academics. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from a total of 801 university lecturers in Sri Lankan state universities. The result of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that work-family demands are negatively associated with WLB, and the cultural value of individualism vs. collectivism (IC) is observed that significantly moderate the relationship between work-family demands with WLB. These typical working and living conditions of women academics make it interesting and informative to understand their WLB and how the IC culture value influences their WLB. Moreover, this study supports understanding the perception-centred approach characterizing WLB research.

The Art of Self-Presentation: A Study on Impression Management among Academicians in Sri Lankan State Universities

Impression Management is one of the important phenomena in everyday life, which everyone uses as a strategy to improve their current state of affairs. This qualitative study on impression management among academicians in Sri Lankan state universities was carried out to explore the impression management strategies which are adopted by academicians, while trying to identify the motives behind them to practice those strategies. Eight academics of a leading faculty in a state university, which is in the Colombo district were selected as the sample using the purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were adopted to collect data and the Thematic Analysis Technique was used to analyze those collected data. Findings of the study indicate that academicians of the selected context use a variety of impression management strategies. Those include direct strategies of creating a good image through presenting the self as competent, likable, diligent, supplicatory, and dangerous. Strategies of apology, reasoning and rejecting were identified as the direct ways of defending a bad image. Indirect impression formation is done by criticizing, passing the fault to others, and getting appreciation from others. Not only that, but academicians also use non-verbal ways such as attire, facial expressions, and vehicle & other accessories to create impressions. Further, the results illustrate that academicians are motivated to manage impressions to maintain a good image of themselves, to build a relationship, to achieve job-related goals such as, job security, career growth, and finally to motivate others for success. This study also provides some valuable theoretical and managerial implications and considerations for future research in the field of impression management. 
 Keywords: Academicians, Impression Management, Impression Management Strategies, Impression Management Motives

Study on Low Student-Lecturer Interaction during Lectures in Sri Lankan State Universities

Study on Low Student-Lecturer Interaction during Lectures in Sri Lankan State Universities

Sri Lankan Management Undergraduates’ Employability Capital towards Work Readiness: Undergraduates’ Perspective

Work-readiness is the primary goal of higher education and a crucial component of job performance. Universities are intended to provide graduates with the necessary employable skills and knowledge to contribute significantly to the economic development of a country. Many criticisms are levelled at the university system in Sri Lanka for failing to fulfil one of the main goals of university education, which is to equip an undergraduate for a job role. The consensus of experts in the educational sector is that the Sri Lankan education system is not producing appropriately employable graduates, especially in the disciplines of the social sciences and management (Ariyawansa,2008). Accordingly, the primary objective of the present explanatory study aimed to analyse the nature and strength of the relationship between graduate employability capital and the work readiness of management undergraduates in Sri Lankan state universities to address the gap in the literature about Sri Lanka in the given area. To this end, five hypotheses were tested to measure the nature of the relationship between work readiness and five components of graduate employability capital: human capital, cultural capital, identity capital, social capital, and psychological capital. Three hundred and ninety-four undergraduates were selected as prescribed by Krejcie and Morgan (1970), using the stratified sampling method with respondents representing all state universities in Sri Lanka. The findings revealed that the tested five factors correlated positively with the level of work readiness of undergraduates. Moreover, the results showed that the highest positive correlation of the level of work readiness was with psychological capital, the second-highest positive correlation was with social capital and the lowest positive correlation was with cultural capital. Accordingly, the findings demonstrated that the level of psychological capital and social capital of management undergraduates strongly predicts their work readiness.
 Keywords: Employability, Employability Skills, Graduate Employability, Work Readiness

Contribution of IT to Implementation of Digital Learning in State Universities of Sri Lanka during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study aims to identify the impact of digital learning in Sri Lankan state universities and the contribution of ICT to the implementation of digital learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study also aims to investigate the impact of digital learning conducted in academic activities while the Covid-19 pandemic; its implementation in state universities in Sri Lanka and the challenges encountered by the academic staff members and students. The purpose of this study is to identify the positive and negative effects of virtual mode studies and their adaptations. In addition, this study will help to identify future digital learning opportunities at Sri Lankan state universities. Data collection was conducted through an interview guide and implemented with some research-related open-ended questions and thematically analyzed the data, and interviews were conducted to carry out research work at eight Sri Lankan state universities. The methodology of this study was qualitative, and the sample of this study was purposive. The findings of this study developed three main themes; implementation of virtual learning; blended learning and distance evaluation; and adaption to rapid changes. Based on the results, academic recommendations are considered when making recommendations for future studies.

Relationship between the Undergraduates University Library Usage for Academic Purpose and Academic Performance in Sri Lankan State Universities

Relationship between the Undergraduates University Library Usage for Academic Purpose and Academic Performance in Sri Lankan State Universities

Internal Audit Practices in State Universities: Evidence from Sri Lanka

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the level of internal audit practices in the state universities of Sri Lanka. The researcher selected two high, middle, and bottom national and international-rank Sri Lankan state universities to find out significant mean differences regarding internal audit practices among the selected top, middle, and bottom rank state universities in Sri Lanka. The researcher used mean difference analysis; the t-test confirmed that there are no significant mean differences regarding internal audit practices among selected top, middle, and bottom-rank state universities in this study. Descriptive analysis shows that internal audit practices in state universities are below than moderate level in selected state universities in Sri Lanka.

Nexus of Emotional Intelligence (EI), need for affiliation (naff), integrating style of conflict resolution: A case study of dispute resolution among undergraduates in Sri Lankan state universities

The KDU Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (KJMS) is published biannually, by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. KJMS is an international open access and peer reviewed journal which publishes high quality original research papers from multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches.

Staying positive among negativities: strategies employed by teachers in Sri Lankan state universities to manage their wellbeing

PurposeTeacher wellbeing is critical given its impact on students’ experience and achievement. This qualitative study provides insights into teacher wellbeing in Sri Lankan state universities. The study occurs during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, where institutions are stretched for resources and teachers sought better work–life balance while working from home.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses semi-structured interviews of teachers from four state universities in Sri Lanka to discover their strategies for managing teacher wellbeing and staying positive among negativities.FindingsIt concludes that the strategies can be expounded to existing research and categorized under four overarching themes: Versatility and Devotion, Pillars of Support, Conformity over Individualism, and Avoidance and Detachment. Sri Lankan university teachers, like many of their global counterparts, believe in staying positive.Research limitations/implicationsLike most qualitative research studies, if not all, this research studies the specific phenomenon of teacher wellbeing among university teachers in Sri Lanka. The findings, though supported, has its limitation to only public universities teachers thus cannot be generalized and may not apply to teacher wellbeing in private universities in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, the application of the themes developed forms a valuable framework to support any future study of teacher wellbeing. The conceptual robustness of the findings will make this framework particularly useful for Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries.Practical implicationsThe findings will inform future studies on teacher wellbeing, particularly in other South Asian countries. This study may also be the impetus for starting a discourse on related policies in Sri Lanka.Social implicationsTeacher wellbeing positively impacts teacher relations with peers and leadership, which has direct implications on student wellbeing. Happy teachers make happy students.Originality/valueThe findings revealed eight strategies employed by Sri Lankan state university teachers. These strategies were framed under four overarching themes: Versatility and Devotion, Pillars of Support, Conformity over Individualism, and Avoidance and Detachment.

Disaster Preparedness in Sri Lankan University Libraries: Before COVID-19

ABSTRACT This study explores the necessity of developing disaster risk reduction plans and increasing the level of preparedness for disasters for academic libraries in Sri Lanka. It examines some of the different types of disasters; natural, man-made, and hybrid, which can occur in university libraries. Informants were the librarians of all 15 Sri Lankan state universities. The methodology is mixed-method with data gathered through questionnaires and interviews. In this study, the researcher considered the likelihood of occurrence of various types of disaster and their potential impact on university libraries. The results reveal that fire is the most expected disaster. Results highlight the importance of disaster risk reduction plans for university libraries and emphasise that every library should adopt a plan to safeguard its legacy. This study was conducted in 2019, thus infectious diseases were identified as an ‘unlikely to occur’ disaster category. However, events of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, indicate a need for librarians to also rethink providing continuous library services during disasters such as pandemics.

Research Productivity of Sri Lankan Universities in the International Ranking Systems and Mandatory Contribution of Librarians

The objective of this study is to investigate the research productivity of the Sri Lankan state universities depicted in reputed international university ranking systems during 2015-2020 and to identify the areas that can be used to develop the research productivity of the state universities. Research–related scores of the Sri Lankan state universities from 2015-2020 in four ranking systems (THE, QS, SIR, and URAP) were analysed. The study established that the research productivity, impact, and collaboration are the major aspects considered by the ranking systems. Only a few universities are ranked and the scores have a considerable scope to be improved. Several recommendations are made on how the university librarians can support the improvement of research-related related rankings. This is the first study on research productivity scores of Sri Lankan state universities based on international ranking systems. Hence the findings will be useful for the university policymakers in Sri Lanka as well in other countries with similar educational contexts.

Developing employability skills through peer-assessment

The development of employability skills is becoming an increasingly important topic in higher education today. According to Alsop (2015), graduates are deficient in key workplace skills such as oral communication, critical thinking and teamwork. Situation in Sri Lanka too is not different. Ariyawansa (2008) and Chandrakumara (2015) argue that graduates who pass out from Sri Lankan state universities do not have required professional skills such as communication, negotiation, interpersonal, teamwork, analytical and intellectual skills. Various programmes have been introduced to enhance the employability skills of the graduates. Learner-centred alternative assessment methods which are more integrated into teaching and learning have drawn much attention in the recent past due to various benefits they offer. Among the alternative assessment methods, peer – assessment has become popular in higher education at present. Peer-assessment not only creates a learner centred assessment method but also helps students develop various skills including employability skills. Drawing a sample of ninety-one (N-91) undegraduates from a humanities and social sciences faculty of a state university in Sri Lanka, the present study was conducted to examine the potential of peer-assessment to enhance the employability skills of the graduates. Learner perception about the potential of peer-assessment to enhance the employability skills was examined using a closed-ended questionnaire, open-ended questionnaire, focus group discussions, one-to-one interviews and written reflections. Participants of the present study generally held positive perception about peer-assessment and believed that peer-assessment helped them enhance various employability skills including teaching skills, independent evaluative skills, professional collaboration and teamwork, communication skills, negotiation skills, critical thinking skills and analytical skills. Therefore, this paper concludes that peer-assessment is an appropriate viable form of alternative assessment and recommends teachers, educators and material writers in higher education institutes to consider using learner centred peer-assessment in their courses in order to enhance the employability skills of the students.