http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/4419 Publications related with the Faculty of Management Studies Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:30:32 GMT 2026-04-03T18:30:32Z http://repo:8080/xmlui/bitstream/id/c32afe4f-b37a-4206-9129-5571e4e9ad3a/ http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/4419 http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5003 “A smooth transition or a giant leap?” The challenges posed by the transition from secondary education to higher education in relation to EMI in Sri Lanka Mahawattha, N.; Rassool, R. Although bilingual education has been offered in some schools of Sri Lanka since 2001, primary and secondary school education has been conducted mainly in the first language (L1), that is, Sinhala/Tamil. As a result, most stu- dents sit for the General Certificate of Education – Advanced Level (GCE (A/L) examination, which determines university entry, in their L1. Thus, the majority of students entering state universities do so after receiving their entire edu- cation in their L1. At the tertiary level, where many (if not most) degree pro- grams are conducted in the English medium, students struggle to make the transition from Sinhala/Tamil medium instruction to English medium instruc- tion (EMI).1 This study examines the challenges faced by students and lectur- ers in three selected state universities due to this language transition. It em- ploys a qualitative research design. Data were collected through official docu- ments and semi-structured interviews with forty academics. Three focus group interviews were conducted with thirty undergraduates. In addition, eighteen noparticipant lectures were observed in mainstream2 classrooms. The findings indi- cate several structural, institutional, and linguistic challenges on the way to a suc- cessful implementation of EMI in state universities and demonstrate that the tran- sition from GCE (A/L) to EMI in universities is a challenging experience for both stu- dents and lecturers. We propose that the concept of academic literacies be used as a productive means of supporting undergraduates through their transition to EMI Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5003 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5002 An analysis of the implications of entry-level English proficiency of management undergraduates for English Medium Instruction: A case study from a state university of Sri Lanka. Mahawattha, N.; Rassool, R. Entry-Level English Language Proficiency (ELELP) of undergraduates is considered a significant determinant of successful academic performance in English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education. Cummins' (1979) distinction between Basic Interpersonal Skills (BICS) and Cognitive and Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) highlights the importance of CALP for success in academic settings in terms of non-native medium of instruction. The Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) offers honours degree programmes in various disciplines of management. All these programmes are conducted in the English medium. However, a systematic analysis has not yet been conducted on the ELELP of undergraduates to assess their preparedness to pursue their higher studies in EMI. Therefore, this study was conducted on the level of the ELELP of undergraduates in order to gauge their preparedness in terms of medium of instruction for tertiary education. Students who faced their GCE (A/L) exams in 2019, 2020, and 2021 were selected as participants of this study. GCE (A/L) General English results of 328, 304, and 309 undergraduates of the five-degree programmes were collected through an online survey. Summary statistics were produced and a weighted analysis was conducted by offering a value to each grade. In all three years, the three highest percentages - 39%, 38%, and 51% respectively - were reported for minimum grade - 'S' (simple) passes. Additionally, 25%, 16% and 16% of 'W' (weak) passes were also reported. The lowest percentages - 5%, 10% and 4% were shown for the highest grade: 'A' passes. These statistics can be regarded as a predictor of the challenges the faculty currently faces in terms of enabling its undergraduates to perform optimally in EMI. Even though this study limits its data collection to five- degree programmes out of seven offered by the faculty, the findings indicate a significant proportion of undergraduates fall below the expected ELELP for EMI. Therefore, this study recommends continuous assistance with frequent monitoring and evaluation to enhance the suitability and capacity of incoming undergraduates, while a parallel mechanism is recommended to enhance their ELELP. Fri, 13 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5002 2024-09-13T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5001 English Camps: A positive response to a common challenge faced by English teachers in Sri Lankan schools Mahawattha, M.D.N.M.U.; Jayawardena, R.A. The concept of English camps was introduced to the Sri Lankan education system in 1996 as a response to this common challenge of developing English Language Proficiency (ELP) in students, but its impact has not yet been documented. This study Intends to examine the impact of English camps on developing students' Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) (Cummins, 2002) by analyzing the perceptions of English camp teachers. Results indicated that English camps have a positive impact on developing students' BICS. Further, English camps served to develop students' personality, self-confidence, and leadership so that students used English to overcome their mental barriers. English camps served not only English teachers but also English Medium Instruction (EMI)/ Bilingual Education (BE) teachers as an effective teaching strategy and considered camp training as an effective Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The lack of administrative support, funds, and prior planning were observed as major challenges for conducting English camps. Therefore, this study concludes that English camps have a positive impact on improving students' BICS and recommends English camps for students and teachers for CPD. Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5001 2024-02-29T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5000 Introducing a Model Academic Literacy Program for Sri Lankan Higher Education: Responding to Needs Analysis Mahawattha, M.D.N.M.U.; Rassool, R.; Coorey, R.V. The concept of Academic Literacy is relatively new to Sri Lanka. However, the academics of the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo have developed a model program for enhancing the Academic Literacy of undergraduates. This model covers six phases of program design and this study describes phase 1 of the project, which was completed in the academic year 2020-2021. This study aims to discuss the system- level implications of the Academic Literacy program designed based on the findings of a needs analysis conducted among the staff and undergraduates of the Department of Physics. This study employed the purposive sampling method to collect data. The research tools used to obtain data included needs analyses conducted on students and academics, non-participant lecture observations, and a study of documentation includ- ing existing curricula, lab reports, mid-semester assignments and end-semester papers. Third-year and fourth-year undergraduates (N-59) and Physics lecturers (N-10) were the participants of the study. Data collected were triangulated and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Both lecturers and undergraduates believed that students lacked academic writing skills (especially in research writing) and academic presentation skills and were unable to develop well-structured and logical answers in semester-end papers. There is a growing need for introducing prerequisite courses for academic writing development and Academic Literacy courses to support Physics curricula. Based on the findings of the needs analyses, a model Academic Literacy program is designed and will be delivered starting from the third year and ending in the fourth year with a course on thesis writing. This study presents details of the conceptualization behind the model program and discusses the potential of this program, or different versions of it, for other contexts within Sri Lankan higher education. Keywords: Academic literacy, Science undergraduates, Sri Lanka Wed, 06 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/5000 2023-12-06T00:00:00Z