Sri Lankan State Research Articles

Online teaching and Learning post-Covid: An Analysis of LMS Usage and Student Outcomes Following the Pandemic

In 2020, the global higher education sector plunged into online teaching and learning within a very short timeframe with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Sri Lankan state higher education system was no exception. While the initial readiness of both students and teachers for this switch varied or, in many cases, was low, online instruction was the predominant form of teaching and learning for most of the subsequent two years. The Sri Lankan university sector resumed face-to-face teaching for undergraduates in mid-2022 but aspects of online teaching and learning remain, providing a valuable opportunity to take stock of the experiences gathered during the pandemic. This study aims to use data on undergraduate courses offered both during and after the pandemic period at the Faculty of Business in the University of Moratuwa in order to identify online teaching practices that persisted beyond the COVID-19 period and relate student interactions with these activities with academic outcomes. The dataset spans 473 students in five cohorts across six undergraduate courses and includes Moodle (the LMS used by the university) logs, data on academic outcomes, and features of the online course pages. The student level data for the selected courses are augmented with interviews with the corresponding lecturers to gain further insights into why certain learning activities were considered successful and others not. By doing so, the paper aims to identify effective learning tools and best practices that arose during the unplanned transition to online teaching from both lecturer and student perspectives. The results show that there is a continuity in the tools between the online mode during the pandemic and the post-pandemic return to face-to-face teaching with tools such as quizzes, assignment submissions, and videos/lecture recordings used noticeably more than in the pre-Covid period. The use of interactive tools increase the student engagement with the course Moodle pages, which in turn are positively associated with learning outcomes. The paper thus highlights some positive consequences of the pandemic period on education in terms of enhancing the adoption of digital tools for learning among both staff and students.

“Roots of Reluctance”: Exploring the Reasons Behind the Management Undergraduates’ Less Preference for Qualitative Research Approaches. - A Case of Sri Lankan State University

The study was contextually undertaken in the Faculty of Management (FOM) at a State University of Sri Lanka with two objectives: to explore the reasons for the less preference for qualitative approaches and to classify such contextual reasons for a proper understanding that is necessary for practical implications of diverse parties. The key study areas of undergraduates’ perspectives on qualitative research and influences on them when selecting the research approach were majorly subjective. Thus, the philosophical paradigm is qualitative interpretivism. Thematic Analysis was conducted on the data collected through semi-structured interviews with 27 students who belong to a final year from different genders and ethnicities. Purposive sampling was undertaken by the researchers to narrow down the population into samples. The study found four major themes, the impact of the learning environment, the role of supervisors, the impact of the mindset of undergraduates, and the perception of the qualitative research process being the areas of reasons for less preference. This study is one of the initial qualitative explorations on the reasons influencing the choice of undergraduates about their final year research.

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.

Exploring Perceived Usefulness and Ease of Use of Facebook as a Tool for Continuous Assessment in a Sri Lankan State University

This study aimed to explore how a group of English as a second language students (ESL) of a Management Faculty at a state university in Sri Lanka perceived the usefulness and ease of use of Facebook (FB) as a tool for Continuous Assessment (CA). It was imperative to assess students' perceptions regarding the implementation of FB for CA, as it represents a novel concept within the institute where this study took place. The study involved 257 participants, 191 females and 66 males. Data were collected through two open-ended questions, and the measurement scales developed and validated by Davis (1989) were used to analyze the usefulness and ease of use of FB. Findings indicate that most of the participants perceive FB as a useful tool for CA. As for its ease of use, only a few participants commented. The study's conclusion suggests that while FB has potential as a tool for CA, improvements are necessary regarding its ease of use. This study contributes to the current debate on the use of social media platforms as tools for CA, in higher educational contexts.

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.

Do Parents Push the Button? Parental Influence on IT Career Choices of Sri Lankan University Students

Parental influence is a powerful force shaping career choices of young individuals, especially in emerging fields with limited understanding. This influence is particularly crucial for careers in newly emerged industries like Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS). In contexts where parental influence is traditionally strong, understanding how parents shape their children’s interest in these fields becomes even more important. This study addresses this gap by investigating how Sri Lankan’s parents influence their children’s career choices in the IS field. We employed a quantitative approach, surveying 247 IS students at a Sri Lankan state university using a self-administered questionnaire that measured six key parental influence attributes. The findings suggest that three attributes: ‘perceived parental career concerns on welfare and prestige’, ‘perceived transmission of parental views and values regarding career’, and ‘perceived parental encouragement to self-direction in career choice’, have a significant impact on students’ career selection in IS sector. The study further assessed the influence of parents’ demographic variables on students’ career choices. These findings provide valuable insights for educators, counselors, and policymakers, emphasizing the need for tailored guidance to enhance students’ understanding of IS career opportunities.

“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.

Cyberbullying among University Students: A Study on Sri Lankan Universities

Cyberbullying serves as a channel through which individuals who have faced victimization during their university experience can vent their anger and frustration. This study delves into the determinants influencing cyberbullying among university students. We collected and analyzed 150 relevant responses from university students in the Sri Lankan context, employing multiple regression analysis. The findings reveal that social influences, social media usage, internet addiction, social anxiety, and trait anger significantly impact cyberbullying behaviors. However, it is essential to note that this study is confined by its focus on only five variables and a sample limited to Sri Lankan state university students. Despite these constraints, our research enriches the understanding of cyberbullying dynamics, advocates for heightened awareness among students, authorities, government bodies, and other stakeholders, and offers recommendations to promote online safety and combat cyberbullying.

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.

Code-switching in Bilingual Classroom in Sri Lanka: Differing Perception of Teacher and Students

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.

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 organizational culture on employees’ commitment: A study in the Sri Lankan state banking sector

The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of organizational culture on employee commitment in the Sri Lankan banking sector. As the antecedents that denote the organizational culture; organizational control, employee engagement and teamwork, innovativeness, and organizational values are selected while employee commitment is selected as the dependent variable. In a competitive environment that belongs to the service-providing nature of a bank, the employee’s role is significantly contributing to the organization’s performance level. Moreover, enhancing employee commitment has become a significant requirement; especially during the current unstable atmosphere which has been raised due to past strategic attempts. The responses to the questionnaire survey of a group of 314 respondents were analyzed using reliability and validity tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis of the SPSS software. The findings indicate that organizational control has an adverse impact on employee commitment, whereas the other three antecedents have positive impacts on the dependent variable. These findings highlight the significance of reducing excessive control, promoting innovation, reinforcing shared values, and fostering employee involvement and teamwork to enhance commitment levels. The study offers valuable insights for organizations in the state banking sector in Sri Lanka, guiding in cultivating a supportive organizational culture that encourages employee commitment.

Documenting Disappearance

On August 12, 2022, Tamil relatives of those forcibly disappeared during the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009) marked their 2,000th day of public protest. Since these roadside protests began, elderly women and men searching for their loved ones have passed away and transitional justice promises have failed, but the disappeared have not been found. This article examines archives of the disappeared: collections of files, objects, photographs, etc. about missing loved ones. Paradoxically, these archives, as evidence that the disappeared once lived, are at the core of the protests, yet they are still overlooked by the Sri Lankan state. I explore these collections by examining the intersection of critical personal archives, life writing scholarship, and South Asian studies. The emerging field of critical personal archives suits the unique quality of archives of disappearance, their constructed nature, and their underlying intimacy. Life writing scholarship focuses a much-needed critical lens on self-representation, power, and narrative in archives, especially regarding those whose stories are marginalized and/or not deemed archivable. Drawing on semi-structured interviews I carried out with mothers of the disappeared in 2016–2017 and 2022, I analyze these archives using three life writing concepts: relationality, cultural scripts, and autotopography. The result reaffirms the enduring cultural, political, and personal value of archives of the disappeared and calls for reimagining personal archives as politically and emotionally powerful forms of representation that carve space for love and resistance.

WAR AND WOMEN: AN ANALYSIS OF T D RAMAKRISHNAN’S SUGANDI ALIAS ANDAL DEVANAYAKI

War has so far been an institution led by men. Women are not usually assigned the identity of a warrior in the times of war, even though they make significant contributions. They are viewed as powerless when it comes to their roles during wartime. Their participation in the war is never appreciated and is ignored by comparing their service with those of men. Their ability to fight for their nation, to be part of an organization and to be in a political sphere are largely restricted by the patriarchal society. The traditional role of women in war is as a victim. Sexual assaults have become a war tactic and the victim’s often face stigmatisation and exclusion. The Sri Lankan Civil War between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan state in 1983 brought women to the warfront. The dissertation titled War and Women: Analysing T D Ramakrishnan’s Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki focuses on deconstructing the notion of women as a submissive victim of war to that of a strong warrior using T D Ramakrishnan’s political novel Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki. The article gives the historical background of the novel and examines the involvement of women in the LTTE organization. It also points out how rape and suicide bombing was widely employed by men in power to subside women in the society. The resistivity shown by the women towards the atrocities of war gives a conclusion to the whole argument.

War Against the Tamil Tigers: How Did Sri Lanka Win?

The final Eelam War that was fought during 2006 to 2009, the Sri Lankan State for the first time in the history witnessed the crystallisation of the trends in favour of it against the Tamil tigers or LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also known as Tamil Tigers). With gradual liberation of north and eastern territory first that where under the clutches of LTTE for long and later dislodging Tigers’ command control, in three years’ timeline the Sri Lankan Armed Forces (SLAF) annihilated the Tigers entirely in May 2009. The victory of the SLAF brought three decade long armed conflict to an end that caused the death of over 100,000 and displacement of millions. While noticing the progress of the security forces and the way things unfolded, the pertinent questions that arise are: How did the Mahinda Rajapaksa government won the war? Was there a game plan with the government since the beginning of Eelam War IV? If so, what was that strategy? If not, how did they go ahead? Although there was no explicit publicly pronounced strategy by the Sri Lankan government for dislodging the Tigers but it appears their evolved game plan was broadly centered around ten points. They were: one, winning local constituency support; two, silence critics; three, build strong military, four, entice Karuna, five, shed conventional military methods; six, shrivel Tigers territories; seven, keep in loop but deter India; eight, diplomatic neutralise West; nine, curb Tigers’s international network; and finally, liquidate Tigers’ top leadership. The paper analyzes these aspects in details in this paper. Keywords: Sri Lanka, LTTE, Tamil Tigers, Eelam, Rajapaksa

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

Limitations on fundamental freedoms in Sri Lanka: majoritarian influence of constitutional practice

AbstractSri Lanka’s Constitution authorises the state to limit certain fundamental freedoms on the grounds of specific public interests. This article examines how this constitutional limitation regime has become vulnerable to majoritarian influence. It uses a case study approach, supplemented by key informant interviews, to delve into Sri Lanka’s constitutional practice with respect to limitations on fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of religion or belief, and the freedom of expression. The article illustrates how organs of the Sri Lankan state have equated notions of ‘public interest’ with the majority community’s conceptions of ‘security’, ‘order’, ‘health’ and ‘morals’. It argues that this practice reflects a cleavage between the moral legitimacy and the legal claimability of fundamental freedoms of minorities and satirists in Sri Lanka. It concludes that legal regimes designed to guarantee fundamental freedoms offer very little protection to minorities when the underlying politics driving the application of law is majoritarian.

“It’s illegal but it’s not, like, really illegal”: Sri Lanka’s ‘sodomy laws’, the politics of equivocation, and queer men’s sexual citizenship in The One Who Loves You So

ABSTRACT This paper explores the representation of queer men’s unequal sexual citizenship in Sri Lanka in a Sri Lankan Anglophone play, focusing on its problematisation of an ambiguous ‘sodomy’ prohibition. I examine The One Who Loves You So (2019), a text in which the illegality of queer men’s offline and online intimacies is paradoxically depicted as both affirmed and open to interpretation. The textual analysis is contextualised by the Sri Lankan state’s consistent history of equivocating on who or what the country’s ‘sodomy laws’ criminalise, particularly when facing international human rights pressure. The state’s equivocation is surprisingly overlooked or dismissed as strategy in most current scholarship and activism: the trend is to think in terms of a hard state stance and a categorical criminalisation. The play lays the ground to grapple with the work done by equivocation, for instance in insidiously regulating same-sex intimacy and marking the conditional status of queer sexual citizenship in Sri Lanka. I plead for attention to the play’s intersectional approach, in particular how queer privilege/disprivilege mediates gradations of empowerment and disempowerment in an uncertain legal situation. The essay argues for moving beyond the idea of strategic evasiveness to recognising a state politics of equivocation on decriminalisation.

“Attempting to commit offences”: Protectionism, surveillance and moral policing of queer women in Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT This working note is centred on snippets of the journey of two Sri Lankan queer couples as they negotiate the normative authoritarian regime of Sri Lankan state and society. Through the authors’ reflections, based on their involvement as activists in these couples’ lives, the paper points out to the distance between dominant discourses in state, society and even among elite queer spaces in the country and the needs of ordinary queer folks in dire situations. It suggests possible paths from which to imagine taking forward the struggle towards decriminalization, freedom, dignity and respect for the LGBTQIA+ community. It shows that these paths have a lot to learn from as well as contribute to, moments and the future impact of the mass mobilization for change in Sri Lanka in 2022 and the repression of the same that the people of Sri Lanka are currently living through.