Browsing by Author "Vijayabaskar, V."

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    Effectiveness of School Based Management in Empowering the Leadership of Schools
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Vijayabaskar, V.; Sharveswara, R.
    School Based Management (SBM) is aimes at empowering the school leadership to take charge of the management more independently by changing the dynamics of school administration from centrally managed model to more decentralized mechanism of independent schools. The objectives of introducing SBM are many: improving good governance, relevance and quality of education, while ensuring equity and community participation. SBM has been implemented for more than over a decade in Sri Lanka, the outcomes of this program at school level have not yet been brought out adequately by researches. This study attempts to find out the influence of the provisions of SBM on the leadership of school. Descriptive statistical approach is used to investigate the research problem. The research design is structured to evaluate the relationship between effectiveness of SBM as independent variable and empowerment of leadership of principals as dependent variable using the statistical techniques of correlational study. Data was collected by stratified random sampling from the population of principals and members of school boards of 20 schools from Tellippalai Education Division, Jaffna. A questionnaire, focus group interviews, and document study were employed for data collection. The provisions of SBM program have rendered the leadership remarkable degree of freedom for managerial process through participatory management. School selfgovernance facilitated in more than 88% schools and school boards contributed over 62% and government grants aided at 61% to empower the leadership. 25 % of principals view the SBM to be providing excellent facilitation to the overall leadership functions in schools. While 35 % consider it to be moderate and 40 % are of opinion of less than the average level. Almost all principals feel that there is certain level of intervention of central authorities in SBM which affect the impact of SBM in producing the expected benefits in school management. The authority to handle financial and human resources has not been adequately decentralized yet. The school boards are not independent and lack control over the schools. The newly introduced Enhanced Program for School Improvement (EPSI) initiatives must be revised to strengthen the school boards with more authorities to manage resources and involve in administrative decision making.
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    Smart Classrooms in Schools in Sri Lanka: A Case Study on the Design and Use of Smart Learning Space
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Vijayabaskar, V.
    The integration of information Technology with the educational process creates smart learning environments that facilitate student engagement, teaching and learning and evaluation through physical and virtual classroom settings. The transformations in classroom settings through the adoption of information and communication technology is generally solicited as a means for improving the educational outcomes. The transformation of learning space from the traditional classrooms to smart classrooms is mainly characterized by the infusion of technology into the pedagogical process of schools. Smart classrooms are expected to address the issues and demands of present context of education that emerge through the changes in the elements of education: students; teachers; curriculum; available resources for the process and; the social background of the schools. In this context smart classroom were introduced in the schools in Sri Lanka since 2017. This study examined the design and use of learning space formulated by interacting axes of domains of smart class rooms: the architectural layout and ergonomic structure; integration of technology and; appropriate pedagogical methodology in smart classrooms. A collective case study approach is used to investigate the research problem. Four schools belonging to 1AB, 1C, Type II and Type III categories were selected from the Valikamam Education Zone of Jaffna district of Sri Lanka as cases. The findings from analyses of cases indicated that the teachers did not perceive much technology enhanced smart learning space in their smart classrooms, while principals are not fully aware about the key characteristics of the three-interacting axis of domains in design and use of smart learning space. The layout and ergonomic structure of smart classrooms is satisfactory except their interior topology and furniture, which is not conducive for interactive learning. Integration of technology is very limited with the basic digital devices available only for the use of teacher while the students are engaged in the lesson only with their exercise books that impedes student centered learning and interaction with teacher and class through the technological platform. The pedagogical methodology is not suitable as the teachers still follow traditional way of teaching without the innovative and creative use of digital devices and the internet. Keywords: Smart classroom; Smart learning space; Transformation in classroom; Technology integration.