Abstract:
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
