QUALITY OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION IN SRI LANKA

VIEW OF UNDERGRADUATE

Outlines of the presentation

Introduction to problem

Literature review

Analyzing the problem

Recommandations

Conclusion

Quality of higher education in Sri Lanka

Education in Sri Lanka plays a main role in Sri Lankan

economy

Quality Assurance and Accreditation of the UGC .

Expectation of demand driven education system

Lifelong learning and improving quality are the keys.

Labour force with skills for the emerging knowledge economy

It require hard skills including

Literacy

ICT competence

Soft skills

Communication

Problem solving

Creativity

Teamwork

Literacy individual is no longer sufficient in knowledge era.

Workforce with market oriented skills needed to create rapid

economic growth and national development

Research objectivesUnderstand about the undergraduates’ opinion on quality of

higher education.Analyzing the problems in higher education sector.

Conceptual framework15 universities and 3 campuses under the UGC

Nearly 23000 students per year

2620 students in Peradeniya university

50 random sample from different faculties and streams

What is a methodology?

Methodology is generally a guideline system for solving a

problem, with specific components such as phases, tasks,

methods, techniques and tools

Importance of questionnaireWe compile the answers of the people in the sample in order to

know how the group as a whole thinks or behaves. Population,

Sample,

Sampling designing, Sample size, Sampling technique

Methods of data collectionPrimary resources

questionnaire

- competence of academic staff

- content

- Update structure of circular

- available resources

- course outline

- opinions and suggestions

Secondary resources

-Previous researches

-Books

-Magazines

-Websites

Nature of the research

Mean value formula

Significance of studyInability to adequately staff and finance rapidly expanding

education systems; Research-based evidence of low levels of learning in basic

skills;New demands for advanced language, mathematics, and,

increasingly, computer skills, stemming from industrialization; and

Financial crises that have had an adverse effect on education budgets in some cases reducing internal efficiencies and eliminating plans for qualitative improvement

Limitations of the Study

LITRETURE REVIEW

What is quality?

The totality of features and characteristics on a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs

Features of quality

• Reliability• Responsiveness• Competence• Access• Courtesy• Credibility • Security• Understanding the customer • Tangibles

Higher education in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan higher education

Government sector

Private sector

Types of higher education

For academic education

For non - academic education

•Enter to an university

•Technical college

Quality in higher education

• modernized classrooms.

• libraries, laboratories.

• study halls.

• syllabus and methods of teaching and evaluation.

Historical background of higher education

Expansion of universities • 1942 - Establishing the medical university colleges

and first university .• 1945 – Free education.• 1960 – Increasing the number universities up to 3 • 1970 - Increasing the number of universities up to 5• 1972 – Introducing university act • 1978 - Seven universities

Expansion of undergraduates

Year No of students

1948 1612

1959 5000

1970 14,000

1978 17, 449

1988/89 29,781

Current situation of higher education in Sri Lanka

Current situation in Sri Lanka

Have knowledge about IT

Language skills

Amount of higher education institutes in Sri Lanka Type of the university Number of universities

• Conventional universities, 18

• Undergraduate institutes. 9

• Post-graduate institutes 7

• Degree awarding institutes under the purview of the University Grants Commission

9

Amount of students graduate for a year Internal graduates 13,000

External graduates 6,500

Graduates from open university 500

ANALYZING THE PROBLEM Objective 01

Understand about the undergraduates’ opinion on quality of higher education.

Quality dimensions•Competence of academic staff

•Course outline

•Content and workload

•Resources availability

•Degree duration

•Update structure and curriculum

Competence of academic staff

Highly saticefied

Saticefied Neural Dissatice-fied

Highly dissatice-

fied

Re-sponses

0.14 0.640000000000002

0.22 0 0

5%

15%

25%

35%

45%

55%

65%

Competence of academic staff

Highly sat-icefied

Saticefied Neural Dissatice-fied

Highly dis-saticefied

Responses 0.14 0.640000000000002

0.22 0 0

5%15%25%35%45%55%65%

Course outline

Highly sat-icefied

Saticefied Neural Dissatice-fied

Highly dis-saticefied

Responses 0.320000000000001

0.46 0.18 0.04 0

3%

13%

23%

33%

43%

Content and workload

Highly sat-icefied

Saticefied Neural Dissatice-fied

Highly dis-saticefied

Responses 0.54 0.28 0.18 0 0

5%

15%

25%

35%

45%

55%

Resources availability

Highly sat-icefied

Saticefied Neural Dissatice-fied

Highly dis-saticefied

Responses 0.4 0.46 0.14 0 0

3%

13%

23%

33%

43%

Degree duration

Highly sat-icefied

Saticefied Neural Dissatice-fied

Highly dis-saticefied

Responses 0.3 0.3 0.22 0.18 0

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

Update structure

Highly sat-isfied

Satisfied Neural Dissatisfied Highly dis-satisfied

Responses 0.1 0.24 0.12 0.54 0

5%

15%

25%

35%

45%

55%

Satisfaction level of the education

Compete

nce o

f staf

f

Course o

ut lin

e

Content &

worklo

ad

Resource

s avail

abili

ty

Degree

durat

ion

Update st

ructu

re0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Satisfied Neural Dissatisfied

Overall quality of the higher education

Saticefied70%

Dissaticefied30%

Objective 2 Analyzing and interpreting the problems in this sector.

30% of undergraduates dissatisfied .

In this research question no.19 tries to find out the reasons

for the dissatisfaction.

Problems in higher education sectorAs our findings, following are the reasons

Outdated syllabus content and teaching methods.Lack of newly updated knowledge and instrumentsVery poor management in scheduling lectures.Lack of important study materialsMisunderstanding with administration and undergraduates.Disturbances in learning environment

E.g.: Rag

StrikesProportionate time is not enough for cover up the content of the curriculumLack of facilities

E.g.: Lecture halls

Computer labs

Findings of this researchResearchers have identified the following findings on 6 criteria’s

as follows:78% of undergraduates satisfied with competence of academic

staff.

78% of undergraduates satisfied with Course outline of the degree program.

82% of undergraduates satisfied with content of the curriculum.

86% 0f undergraduates satisfied with resources availability of university.

60% 0f undergraduates satisfied with degree duration in universities.

34% 0f undergraduates satisfied with update structure of the curriculum.

According to the above findings 70% of undergraduates satisfied with overall quality of higher education in Sri Lanka.

Main reason for dissatisfaction of undergraduates

Outdated structure and curriculum of the degree

RecommendationsCompetence of staff

Course out line

Content & workload

Resources availability

Degree duration

Update structure

Competence of staff

- Staff training-Development programs

for lectures-Develop a promotion

scheme

- Keen to know about new methods

- Updated knowledge- Confident in

delivering lectures

-Students gain more practical knowledge

-More satisfied about their degree

recommendation

output

Outcome

Course out line

Provide more useful

and updated course

outlines.

output

- Will be interested in referring recommended

books

Outcome

Gain more practical & global knowledge

recommendation

Content & workload -Practical

-Different kind of learning activities

- Give English literacy

output

Interested in following the degree

Outcome

Motivated to complete their degree

recommendation

Resources availability

recommendation

-More facilitated with

Physical resources

-Libraries have to be more facilitated

- Availability of using computers

output

Pleasant environment to

study

Outcome

-Lecturers more encourage

-Undergraduates more enthusiastic

Degree duration

recommendation

-Complete with in the given time period-More practical

knowledge

output

Not giving away their degree

Outcome

- More opportunities in higher education

and job market- More scholarship

opportunities

Update Structure

recommendation

- More opportunities for students

- Different kind of experiences

output

More interested in learning

Outcome

-Practical knowledge- Interested in

studies

CONCLUSION

QUESTIONS

THANK YOU